


Paths Unknown

by DylanCruca



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, The Jolly Roger, captainswan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-08
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-02-20 09:35:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 93,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2423873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DylanCruca/pseuds/DylanCruca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beginning in 3x22. Hook and Emma kiss outside of Granny's, but when the kiss ends, they find themselves adrift at sea aboard the Jolly Roger. They don't know where they are or how they got there, but they are determined to find a way back to Storybrooke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: Diverted

**Author's Note:**

> This fic contains an "M" rating for adult material in some chapters.
> 
> The story begins in 3x22 as Hook and Emma kiss outside of Granny's.

He couldn't believe it was finally happening. He'd told her the truth, and she'd kissed him. It didn't feel like she was trying to prove a point or silence him. It felt full of emotion, gratitude, and promise. The kiss was passionate, intense and tender all at once. Even when they stopped for a breath of air, she smiled and came back to him.

It seemed the next thing he knew, they were standing, bodies pressed together as their kiss deepened. The ground seemed suddenly less steady beneath his feet, and although he quickly found his balance, she nearly tipped. He tightened his arm around her waist to keep her standing, scarcely noticing or caring that something was different around them. Hook took a breath, and then a risk, his lips moving from her mouth and kissing down to her neck. Her hands tightened, one in his hair and one at the small of his back, and when she tilted her head to allow him more access, he felt a surge of excitement that, for once, she wasn't pushing him away. She breathed more heavily, her sigh ringing like a song through his body that he'd been waiting to hear. Mist dotted what little exposed skin he had, but it wasn't until he tasted the sea on her neck that he backed away for a moment.

Her eyes were heavy with desire, and he wanted nothing more than to see just how far her willingness would go, but at the same time, they suddenly became aware of their surroundings. "What the hell?" Emma asked as she looked around.

It was obvious they were no longer outside of Granny's. His confusion morphed into joy when he realized they were standing on the deck of the Jolly Roger. He took Emma's hand and dashed toward the helm, looking for proof that the ship was actually his. He laughed, confused but thrilled as he asked, "How'd we get here?"

"Where are we?" Emma wondered.

"The Jolly Roger! Isn't it obvious?"

"But I thought you said you traded it?"

"I did."

"Even if this really is your ship… What ocean is it in, in what world, and when?"

He looked for clues in the sky, searching for familiar patterns of stars before he answered, "This is my ship. But I don't recognize these skies."

"How did this happen. We were…" she stopped and looked at him a little shyly, which was rare for her. "We were outside Granny's…together. Obviously something happened."

"Indeed it did," he said as he raised an eyebrow and flashed a scandalous grin.

"So how do we figure out where we are? We can't just float and see where we end up."

He tried again to search the clear night sky for something that seemed familiar, but was still uncertain. "Perhaps tomorrow we'll be able to see signs of land. In the meanwhile, we should check our provisions and see if there's anyone else on board."

As she tried to find her sea legs, she stumbled just a little, and even in the uncertainty of their circumstance, he managed to flirt. "If you wanted to be on the arm of a dashing swashbuckler, all you had to do was grab on."

She rolled her eyes and gestured for him to go first.

"Better stay close, love," he warned.

"I'm pretty good at taking care of myself."

He turned back, tilting his head as he replied, "Aye. Usually. But I'd have drowned at the hands of the Zelena if not for you, and you'd be lost in New York if not for me. Sometimes it's good to have a mate at your back. Until we figure out what's going on here, I say we stay close."

She followed him as she walked and teased back, "If you want to keep me close, you could just ask."

"I've tried asking. Repeatedly." He descended into his cabin and looked around, "Everything is as I'd left it."

They moved to the other spaces below deck, checking the crew bunks and cargo hold, but finding no one. They looked through the ship's provisions, and Hook seemed a bit more concerned. "We don't have much. Food is low, but I'm sure we can catch something. Rum is low. Other provisions are pretty much non-existent."

"Rum? _Rum_ counts as a _provision_ ," she skeptically teased.

"Rum is safer than barreled water," he warned. "We'll be alright for a few days, longer if necessary, but since I can't tell where we are by the stars, our best chance is to find land. We can ask some questions and resupply. Maybe we'll see something by daybreak that will help us find our location."

He was momentarily distracted by his ship, his other love. He felt the worn wood of one of the rails beneath his fingertips as he walked across the familiar planks that covered the deck. He found a lantern and lit it, hanging it so they could see more clearly. He tried to look up into the sails to see if there were any problems that might need his immediate attention but it was too dark to do a thorough inspection. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Emma was watching him. She was standing, arms folded, her legs yielding to the sway of the sea. "I thought I was the only one you looked at like that," she blandly joked.

"Perhaps you're jealous?" he asked. She was silent, so he added, "You know…I told you before, you have a little pirate in you. Standing there, on the deck of this ship, arms crossed, sturdy sea legs, scowling to frighten off whoever may encroach…you look the part."

"I'm not scowling."

He walked around her, inspecting her form, peeking over her shoulder and saying, "Scowl all you want. You won't frighten me off." Before she could argue, he loudly added, "Believe me, if you want to be a good pirate, it's important to inspire fear. You need the right look." He shucked off his heavy leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

She shifted under its weight. "Oh, god!" she said as she felt it settle on her back. "How do you walk around with this?"

He folded his arms, bringing his hand to his chin, his thumb tapping his lips while he inspected her again. "I could use a first mate."

"Could you?" she coyly asked.

"You'd have to learn a few things. Most importantly, when I give an order, the proper response is, 'Aye Cap'n.' Give it a try."

She laughed and shook her head, "You want me to take orders… from _you_?"

"Why not? I've taken orders from you. In Neverland. In Storybrooke. In fact, I've taken more orders from you than I have from anyone since my brother. Here, I'm the Captain. Unless you're considering mutiny?" he asked. He grabbed the sides of his heavy leather coat with his hand and hook, and lifted the jacket to pull it onto her shoulders better. When he was done, he was still holding the sides of the jacket.

"Mutiny?" She looked around, snickering, "Doesn't look like I'll have a lot of help."

"Maybe…," he said while his hand slipped up the lapel of his jacket and gently tugged her forward, "I could try to convince you of the benefits of joining the crew, staying on as first mate."

Just before his lips brushed hers, she grinned, "I had no idea first mates and captains were so close. Wasn't Smee your first mate until recently? Must get lonely at sea."

"I can assure you, it's never been that lonely," he replied. His hand slipped inside her jacket, touching the soft fabric of her shirt. "But then Smee lacked your figure…and almost everything else you possess."

He leaned in, just about to kiss her again and she put a hand on his chest, warning, "Hook…"

"A few moments ago you were thanking me, calling me Killian, and you weren't exactly pushing me away. What's changed?"

"Everything's changed. We can't do this. Not now."

"Our geography may have changed, but there's nothing different between us. I'm beginning to think it's okay if you are the one who kisses me. But for some reason it's not okay if I kiss you. Seems a bit unfair."

"I seem to remember you doing plenty of kissing," she argued.

"But only if you instigate it. If I'm wrong, prove it," he challenged.

He leaned closer, slowly, challenging her to stop him or just accept that she was going to be kissed. His eyes refused to leave hers as he closed the distance between them. Her lips were full and soft, the feeling of them against his was something he'd thought of constantly since the first time she'd kissed him. His hand still moved against her shirt, soaking up the warmth underneath. He could feel her fingers pressed against his leather vest, moving over his chest and down to his abdomen.

Her tongue slipped between his lips, deepening their kiss once again. She was driving him crazy. Her hands moved over his arms, and he could feel her even closer than he had before since he wasn't wearing his jacket. He could feel the heat of her touch because only his black linen shirt covered his arms. As her hands moved up to his shoulders, he could feel her hanging onto him, and he never wanted her to stop.

"Killian?" she asked, her hands moving back to his chest and firmly pressing him back.

"That sounds much better, Emma," he answered against her lips.

"We have to figure out what's going on here. We can't get distracted."

"I'll tell you what's going on. You and I are here, together, and we have a night alone. Might as well make the most of it before the next battle or monster or curse."

"I don't even know if this is real."

He pressed his forehead to hers and said, "It feels real enough to me."

She smiled at him, pressing one more quick kiss against his lips and whispering, "I'm not saying no. I'm saying not yet."

Hook watched while she walked away with his coat still draped over her shoulders as she tried to solve the mystery of where they were. She was so beautiful, like a vision lit by a small lantern and the stars above. As much as he wished he could be holding her, at least he had something. He remembered escaping the curse as he stood on that very same deck, completely alone. He finally had his Emma and the Jolly Roger, and he could only hope that he'd be able to keep them both. Of course if he had to choose again, he knew he'd gladly trade the vessel for the woman he loved, the woman he'd do anything for. "Do you have your magic?" he asked.

"For what?" she wondered.

"Good to know if this world has magic or not. Might help us narrow down the possibilities."

"I'm not good at controlling it. I can try."

She winced, but closed her eyes to concentrate.

Hook smiled proudly as two unlit lanterns behind him flickered to life. "Might be useful having the saviour on board. Can you conjure a barrel of rum and a few fathoms of rope?" he questioned.

"I don't think it works like that. At least not for me," she answered.

"A mirror?"

"What about a mirror?"

"If you have one, can't you look into it? Find out where we are?"

"I don't think so. Although… maybe I can try to see Henry or my parents. Maybe they know something about what happened."

They went below deck to his cabin and found an old, slightly warped mirror. He held it up as she closed her eyes, drawing on her emotion, looking inward, and focusing on finding her family. Her eyes darted open when she heard an unfamiliar voice. The image in the glass showed a young girl. The girl was trapped in a cage, reaching her skinny fingers between the bars as she pleaded for help. "Please, help me. Find my parents," the child begged. "If you don't hurry, I'll die."

"Who are you?" Hook asked the image, but since it was merely an image, the girl did not attempt to reply.

The vision whisked away as Emma was overcome by what she saw before her. Her hand clasped over her mouth, she turned to Hook for answers. Fearing she was accusing him of some wrongdoing, he answered, "I did not imprison that girl."

"I didn't say that you did," Emma argued loudly. "Do you know who she is?"

"No idea."

"We need to find out."

"So we need to go find someone we don't know, in places unknown, when we, ourselves, aren't sure where we are?"

"She'll die! You heard her!" Emma adamantly countered.

"I did. But unless you can see her again, we don't even know where she is. I don't know how to captain this vessel to a vision."

Emma screwed her eyes tightly shut and tried to concentrate, but she was obviously weary. Seeing the unsteadiness in her legs, he wrapped his arm around her and guided her to his bunk. He took his coat from her shoulders and helped her out of her jacket and shoes. "Get some sleep, love. You need rest if you want to continue your saviour duties," he whispered.

Her eyes were heavy as he pulled the blankets up around her. "I hope Henry's alright," she said.

"Try to see him tomorrow. He's with your parents and Regina. I'm sure he's well cared for."

He watched while the worry on her face softened only slightly as she fell asleep, spent from the day and the adventure they'd only just returned from. He leaned down, placing a single, delicate kiss against her forehead. Quietly he dug out some old star charts in the hopes of figuring out where they were before she woke again.

**To be continued…**


	2. Another Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks to all of those who've shown an interest in my story! I'll try to update at least weekly, if not more frequently.

Emma woke with a disoriented start. She wasn't sure exactly what she'd expected, but she didn't think she'd wake alone in Hook's cabin. His heavy leather coat was slung over a chair, but he was nowhere to be found. Just being in his cabin and in his bed, she felt surrounded by him. She hadn't had much of an opportunity to be on his ship. She sat up, slipping her feet back in her shoes and climbing up on deck.

For a few seconds, her heart rate accelerated to panicked levels when she looked around and didn't see him. Her lungs filled with air as she prepared to scream his name, and just before she spoke, she heard a rustling in the sails above. Taking a few steps back, she stared up, and there he was. Imagining him as a pirate wasn't strange, that was, after all, the man she'd known. It wasn't weird to see him at the helm, or wielding a sword to battle their latest threat. She was not, however, used to seeing him as an ordinary sailor.

He moved almost effortlessly along the masts, tugging ropes to adjust the sails without even thinking about his actions. For a man with only one hand, he moved with shocking grace in his duties. Emma was struck by the relaxed joy on his face. It was almost a window into his past as she realized that he hadn't always been the feared pirate _Captain Hook_ or even _Hook the Hero_ , and at one time, he had been just an ordinary sailor. He'd probably done some of these very same things as a boy. It was hard to imagine the man she'd come to know as a youth, learning these things for the first time.

Emma leaned back against the rails, fixated by what he was doing and the way that he moved, and then she stood upright with worry as she watched him leaning out precariously from the mast as he reached for the next rope with his hook. He was balanced on the edge of his toes, his hand gripping at the mast so he wouldn't fall, and every sense in her body focused on her worry for his safety. The next moment, in a flash of white, he appeared unsteadily but safely on the deck.

"What happened? Why am I down here?" he asked as he patted his chest and looked around to make sure he hadn't been transported somewhere else yet again. Her eyes were filled with relief and he cocked his head, "You did this? With magic?"

"I think so," she hesitantly admitted, looking at her hands.

"Were you trying to rescue me?" he smirked, sauntering closer.

"Sometimes instincts kick in and—"

"I can't blame you if your instinct is to protect someone you care for…" he said, fishing for a response. She looked away, still avoiding any such admission, so he reluctantly continued what he had been doing.

Walking back to the mast without any further delay, he started to climb back up. He didn't go far, sitting on one of the crossbeams and pulling out his telescope.

"What do you see?" she shouted up.

"Birds," he replied as he squinted at the scene ahead.

"Like regular…birds? Is that good or bad?"

"They're not flying monkeys, if that's what you're asking. It's good. Hopefully. Birds never stray far from land. I say we head toward land."

"Agreed," Emma replied, watching him drop back down from his perch.

She followed Hook to the front of the ship and saw a few sails and buckets set along an open space. "What's that for?" she asked.

He poured the buckets and basins together, handing her the one with the most water. "You wanted water to drink. I collected some during the night. It's not seawater, so you can drink it. Should probably still boil it once we have a fire."

"Thank you," she answered sincerely before she watched him turn to attend to his next task.

"Next we need to consider sustenance. There's a little cured and salted meat left and a few sea biscuits. Sadly I have no idea how long anything has been sitting here." Emma made a face of disgust and he replied, "That's what I thought you'd say. Care to try a hand at fishing?"

They spent the day heading steadily toward the land they could now vaguely see if they used his telescope. Hook showed her a few of the basics of sailing. He showed her how to start a fire in the ship's sandbox so they could boil water and heat food. As much as this wasn't a life she could imagine living every day, it was fun to play the part of seafarer.

As the sun began to set that evening, wrinkling her nose, she asked, "You don't have a shower hidden somewhere on this thing do you?"

"A shower? No."

"With our previous time travel, I don't even know how many days I've been wearing these clothes and I'd really love to clean up."

"You see that tub?" he asked, pointing to a large half barrel. "That…is the best that I can offer. Since I don't know what lurks in these waters below, I wouldn't recommend hopping in."

"How do we get the tub down to your cabin?"

"To my cabin? No. You don't want to haul the tub and then all of that water up and down."

"So pirates take baths in front of all the other pirates?" she laughed.

"Have you seen most of my former crew? I don't think anyone was interested in watching. And, honestly, most pirates aren't quite as interested in maintaining a dashing appearance as I am. I'll haul up a few buckets of seawater. We can heat some so your bath isn't so cold."

"What if something happens?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know…flying monkeys, wraiths, bands of pirates who attack the ship," she suggested.

"If any of those things attack the ship, I don't think going below deck is going to help all that much." He thought for a moment, and then offered, "Fine. I'll help you get the tub below deck right next to the ladder in the cargo hold. We can dump the water down into the tub from up here."

She smiled. "Do pirates have soap?"

Hook gathered a few old rags to dry with and a lump that he insisted was soap, but she wasn't so sure. Handing her a heap of linen, he said, "Should be some togs in there that'll suit you if you want to wash yours."

"Togs?"

"Clothes, love. Something to wear. Although if you prefer to let yourself air dry…I'm not opposed," he smirked.

By most standards, seawater in a barrel was a less than ideal bath, but it felt so good to scrub the dirt away from her body. When she was done, she washed her clothes as best as she could and hung them near the windows to dry. She found some loose linen pants and a shirt in the pile he'd given her. She nearly drowned in them, but at least they were clean and would keep her covered until her own clothes were dry. She began taking bucketfuls of dirty water and tossing them out the window of the cargo hold.

As she dumped one of the last buckets of water, she turned around and was startled by a bright blue spiral of smoke. It was accompanied by a loud sound, like a storm right there in the belly of the Jolly Roger. She stared into the expanse of blue smoke and watched as the center smoothed into a flat surface and a vision appeared. Emma knew she had not called this vision, and nothing made it clear to her what or who was causing it.

The image was similar to the one they'd seen the night before, but she did not see the same little girl that she'd seen in the mirror. The spinning vortex darkened from a blue to gray as she saw Hook, standing on the deck of the Jolly Roger. The scene was perfectly clear. He stepped up, walking out along the plank, prodded by the tip of another pirate's sword. She saw the image of Hook take a deep breath as he prepared to plunge into the ocean below. Before he could leap, she saw a pained expression cross his face and, as the vision backed away, she could see that the dark pirate who had been forcing him to walk the plank had stabbed Hook in the back with his sword, and then pushed him into the water. Emma gasped, covering her mouth in horror as tears filled her eyes. In the next moment, the image and the twirling smoke it could be seen in vanished, and everything was silent again.

"Killian!" Emma yelled as she quickly scaled the ladder and dashed on deck.

He was standing next to a few empty buckets. It was obvious that he'd taken a moment and cleaned himself while she was gone. "See how much faster it is to wash up with a few buckets on deck without having to haul all of that water-," he started to argue, but stopped when he saw how upset she was. "What happened? What's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he lunged to the ground for his hook and sword so he'd be prepared to fight, if necessary.

"You're okay?" she asked while he engaged his hook and waited for her explanation.

"Of course I'm okay. Tell me what happened!"

"You didn't hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"A vision or a sign…I don't know what it was. It was loud. I think something is trying to warn us."

"Maybe you just fell asleep."

"I was awake, standing up. I was emptying the water from the tub. It wasn't a dream," she adamantly answered.

"What did you see, love?"

She held his face between her hands, shaking her head as she tried to erase the image of his painful death from her mind. Her hands moved behind his neck, feeling the droplets of water trickling from his wet hair and the damp fabric at the collar of his shirt. His eyes looked different without dark lines painted around them, and she could see the concern he felt in the blue depths that gazed upon her.

She had no words to express how happy she was that he was still there before her, or the fear that she had at the thought of losing him, or the sorrowful ache that even the potential of his death caused her. Hook was terrifying both because of what he could become to her and how important he already was, but some part of her believed that just maybe he could be the man to help open her heart. She knew she couldn't lose him. "Nothing is going to happen to you," she said before she crushed a kiss to his lips.

The emotions surfaced almost like an unseen burst of energy, the intensity of their connection sending miniature shockwaves through each other and even their world. Placing delicate kisses against her lips and chin, he paused for a moment and said, "What, exactly, do you think is going to happen to me?"

"Nothing," she answered, determined not to let him worry with the future. She'd heard how dangerous knowledge of the future could be during their encounter with Rumpelstiltskin.

"You really aren't going to tell me?" he asked.

"Kiss me," she replied as she wrapped herself up in his embrace again.

He didn't hesitate, feeling the draw of being pulled in by the woman he'd wanted for so long. His fingers had been at the back of her neck, and she reached for his wrist to guide his hand. She dragged his palm down her shirt between her breasts, keeping his hand against her until she could guide his fingers under the billowy shirt that she wore.

He looked at her questioningly one last time, desperately wanting what he thought she was offering, but expecting to be pushed away as he so often had been. She touched him, sliding her fingers through the hair that dusted his chest before she started to open the buttons. A million questions went through his mind. As much as he wanted her, he didn't want her to see him as an impulsive mistake and push him away even more than she had before. He covered her hands under his as he held them to his chest. "Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she whispered, gasping softly as she pulled her hands from his chest and slid back against his body.

Opening his shirt, she let it fall on the ground, her hands running over his bare torso and over the bands that kept his prosthetic secured to his body. She stepped back for a moment, and she could see from his flinch that he thought she was walking away again, but standing before him, right on the deck of his ship, she took off the flowy shirt that she'd just put on, and stood before him. He actually looked away for a second, always the gentleman, at least when it came to her. She waited, and when he looked at her face, he found a subtle, welcoming smile, and finally began to take in the vision before him. She was shirtless, but wore a pair of linen pants often worn in his world beneath clothing or for bed. They were so big that they were tied with a long piece of fabric that barely kept the pants over her hips.

"You are so beautiful," he said, unable to stop the words.

His hand reached out for her, tracing the caps of her shoulders down the silky skin covering her femininely muscled arms. When he reached her hand, he took her fingers and pulled her toward him, the heat from their torsos igniting their mutual passions as they kissed again. She could feel the roughness of his chest against the softness of her breasts, her nipples forming tight peaks from the anticipation as she felt his body against hers. He pulled her back a few steps, toward the hatch to his cabin. Stepping carefully down a few rungs, he looked up at her, holding out his hand as she descended.

He reached up to latch the door above him while she was pinned between his body and the ladder. She wrapped a leg around his hip, her desire for him, for the man she'd been pushing away, building so intensely that she felt she had no other choice than to be with him. "Patience, love," he quietly demanded before he grabbed the rung with his hook so they wouldn't fall and held her close with his hand as he stepped the rest of the way down.

His beard scratched along the sensitive skin of her neck, down to the hollow above her collarbone. She heard him disengage his hook and drop it on the table, and she guessed that he was concerned that, in the heat of the moment, he may inadvertently hurt her. He put her feet back on the ground and easily untied the fabric that held her pants up and let them fall to the floor. She had no undergarments, her panties and bra had been washed with the rest of the clothes she had previously been wearing, so her temporary pirate's garments were the only things that she'd had on. His hesitation seemed to disappear now the he felt certain her consent was offered, or perhaps he was so caught up in a haze of love and lust that he couldn't be bothered with hesitation any longer. As soon as she was naked before him, beautifully vulnerable and exposed, he pulled her flush against him again. She felt his hand grab her ass, pulling her against him so there was no space between them. She felt his growing arousal pressing against her body through his pants, and heard the lusty sound of his groan when she rocked against his erection.

He lifted her higher, unlacing his own pants and removing them as quickly as possible. He nearly trembled with his desire for her, and the way he needed her so badly spurred her desire for him to even greater heights. He placed her down on his bed, climbing slowly over her and shivering when she wrapped her legs tightly around him and moaned, "God, Killian, I want you."

"I want you, too. More than you could know," he breathlessly replied.

He was taking his time with her, lavishing kisses on her, nipping and lapping at her breast, neck, tummy and ribs. She felt adored, venerated by this man that she'd been trying to protect herself from. Her body ached with need, so she rolled him, watching him smile at her impatience and insistence. She wasn't like other women that he'd known. She reached between them and wrapped her fingers around his cock. He was already completely hard, ready, and she started to stroke him, slowly pumping up and down along his shaft. He swallowed as his desire built and he tried to remain in control of his reactions.

Growing impatient himself, he touched her knee and followed up along her thighs, his calloused fingers moving steadily upward between her legs. His finger slipped between her folds and found an abundance of wetness, and he felt that surge of need intensify between his legs as he realized her physical desire equaled his own. Her fingers tightened around him as she lifted up and guided him into her body. He was surrounded by the warmest, tightest, most welcoming body that he'd ever remembered. She surrounded him, holding him firmly inside her as her body slowly adjusted to his presence. She didn't move for a bit, enjoying the feeling of _this_ man, in her body at last. She'd wanted it just as much as she'd fought it.

Her hands pressed down on his shoulders to keep him flat on the bed. She wanted to be on top of him, wanted to take him and claim him for her own. His thumb moved carefully, parting her moist folds to press her clit. It was just the right amount of pressure and contact, because her womanhood throbbed with need already, but as he slowly circled her tiny, sensitive nub, she felt the need to move.

With her hands still braced on his shoulders, she leaned forward to kiss him as she started to undulate over him. He kept his handless wrist against her side. How he wished he had that missing hand so he could feel more of her. As her yearning swelled, her pace quickened. He could feel a flood of wetness from her body as she came closer to her release. No longer able to hold still, his hips began to move to meet her, thrusting up into her as she rode him. Her orgasm hit suddenly. Her fingers dug into his skin and she screamed, "God, Killian!" so loudly it almost surprised him.

Her inner muscles clamped down on him so hard he could barely move, but he continued, his own need strictly prohibiting him from stopping. He moved in and out of her body at a frantic pace as she squeezed all around him, the combination of so many stimuli making his senses hum with pleasure. She was gasping and moaning as the aftershocks of her orgasm continued each time he plunged into her body until he reached his peak and came with her name on his lips. He held her hips tightly against him as he twitched within her, finally shivering before he fell limply back into the mattress and dragged her down onto his chest.

They panted together as their bodies recovered, fingers entwining or travelling along expanses of skin and the curves and shapes of the person lying against them. "You're amazing, Swan," he said gently as he held her even closer.

"So are you," she answered as she pressed an ear to his chest and listened to his heart still thudding rapidly below.

After they rested for a few minutes, he leaned to the side so he could see her face and asked, "What was that?"

The answer he feared, of course, was the answer she'd given him after the first time she'd kissed him. He didn't want her to tell him this was a one-time thing, or something meaningless to her. It meant everything to him.

"What do you think it was?" she tentatively asked.

"I know what I think it was. I'd like to know what _you_ think it was," he stated, trying to look as poised and pirate-like as he could.

She answered, seeing right through his attempt at calm "This was...the first time."

"A start?" he asked, hopefully.

Her teeth grazed her lip and she nodded, "I hope so."

They didn't say much else, and after Emma fell asleep, he reluctantly moved out from underneath her to make sure everything was alright on deck. He didn't want the ship to go off course while he was peacefully sleeping below. After he put pants back on, he walked over to the ladder and heard her ask, "Where are you going?"

"Making sure we're still on course, and everything is quiet, love. No cause for alarm," he answered. She looked sad and uncertain, so he explained, "I'll come back. You'd be surprised how far off course we could get in a few hours if I'm not paying attention. Or if a storm comes or…"

"Another ship," she nervously interrupted.

"Anything. Maybe we should pick up a small crew, if we can find one. Never turn your back on the sea. Believe me," he said as he returned to the bunk, leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, "I'd rather be down here with you. I'll just be gone for a few moments."

"I…," she started, hesitating slightly. "Killian, I…I don't want to lose you."

He smiled and bowed his head slightly as if he were honoring her wish. "You weren't able to get rid of me even when you wanted to. You will not lose me. I'd die before I'd let that happen."

As he disappeared up on deck, she said to herself, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."


	3. Mama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks to anyone reading! I REALLY appreciate the subscriptions/kudos/comments! I'm new to writing fanfiction, so I hope it is interesting enough.
> 
> I don't own any of these characters.

Early the next morning, Hook worried that Emma was already regretting that they'd given in to their desires. She stood on deck in silence, watching the sun rise. Hook began tacking star charts around him on deck. "Look at this," he said, calling Emma over once he was done laying out the charts. He pointed at them and said, "Any recognizable constellations are at the very edge of the skies we could see last night from our current location. We're on the edge of all of these star charts. At least it would seem."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"We're…in between all of these other maps. Almost like we're between realms."

"How long until we reach land?"

"Not long, if winds stay favorable," he replied, watching her for a moment while she studied the charts and maps. He stepped behind her, slightly off to one side, and put an arm around her, resting his hand on her hip. He was surprised but relieved when she didn't pull away. She leaned back against his chest and actually looked over her shoulder and smiled briefly at him.

"Swan, I should warn you, I have a certain…reputation," he explained.

"You think I don't know that?"

"I think you may underestimate it."

"Once people get to know you, they'll see there's nothing to—"

"Actually, I hope they don't see," he interrupted. "Depending on where we're about to make landfall, you may hear people say things about me that—"

"I know who you were," she interjected. "And I _know_ who you _are_. I watched you become this man. I don't care about your past."

"But I'm planning on taking full advantage of my reputation. A reputation…a name…can fight many of your battles for you."

She nodded, "So you want them to think you're still…a ruthless pirate?"

"Indeed. At least until we figure out what we're up against."

He felt disappointed when she pulled away and disappeared into his cabin. He wondered if he could ever stop chasing after her even if he wanted to. A few minutes later, he heard her calling for him. As soon as he turned back, he saw her. She was wearing an old maroon vest that was his, and the oversized linen pants that he'd given her, and nothing else. The vest wasn't fastened, so he could see the long strip of exposed skin down the center of her chest and tummy. He raised an eyebrow, smiling appreciatively at the vision of her before him. "I thought maybe you could help me find the right outfit," she said. "After all…the ruthless Captain Hook should have appropriate backup."

Once he was in front of her, he used his hook to open the vest a little more, gazing at the swell of her breasts and watching her breath quicken. His hand reached beneath the vest to her stomach, his fingers slipping over her skin to her side, warmly contrasting the chilly smoothness of his hook. "I'd be honored to help you," he answered as he pulled her into his embrace.

She could feel leather and buckles against her skin as he held her body against his and began stepping her backward. She was lost as her senses were overwhelmed by him. By his touch. By his smell. By the spicy, rum-flavored taste of his mouth. She'd imagined it shortly after she'd met him, the guilty fantasy of a woman immediately attracted to the wrong kind of man. As they'd grown closer, she'd wondered about him. She'd wondered if his talents could live up to his flirting. She'd wondered what kind of lover he would be. Would he be selfish, rough and quick? Would the customs of his world be different from her own? She'd known men who'd said the right things and flirted in the right ways, who'd only left her disappointed. But Hook… _Killian_ …wasn't just a flirt who'd made suggestive or crass comments to live up to a name and a reputation. After only one night together, she knew he was a good, attentive, talented partner.

It was hard to think about the past, though, when his mouth was sliding down her neck like that, with just the right combination of rough desire and weighty affection. He stopped walking when her butt hit a barrel and she could lean back against it. He kept her vest on, taking hungry tugs at her nipples with his mouth as he knelt on the ground before her. He kept going, and she had the impression he was trying to keep things moving before she changed her mind. He untied the scarf she was using to keep her pants up, and watched them drop away from her hips. His hand slid down the back of her calf as he lifted her foot so he could free her leg from the clothing.

His hand moved up to her hip, pressing her back a little more before he leaned closer. He looked up, those gorgeous blue eyes staring at her, almost pleading her to allow him to continue. And, god, she hoped he was about to do what she thought he was going to do. She tipped her pelvis forward, almost involuntarily, but he took the movement as permission and dove toward her sex. His nose nuzzled against her for a moment before his tongue slid between her folds, sampling an intimate taste of her. She moaned loudly, opening her legs a little more and tipping back her head when he wrapped his lips around her clit and began swirling it with his tongue.

She looked up at the sky, not thinking about or caring that she was out in the open on the deck of his ship with his head between her legs. He had the most talented mouth, and with each lick and sigh that she felt from him, she could feel how much he wanted to be with her like that, to taste her on his tongue. Her senses were heightening quickly and she looked down, finding his eyes focused on her face, watching her experiencing the fullness of the pleasure he was offering.

With one hand helping her keep her balance on the barrel, her other hand grabbed the back of his head and held him close. "Don't stop, please don't stop," she suddenly cried out as the waves of her orgasm began to consume her, and she rocked her hips against his face.

He didn't stop until she grabbed his vest and pulled him up from the ground. As he stood, he kissed her stomach, breast and neck. He pulled her body against his as he lifted her higher onto the barrel, and she wrapped her legs around his narrow waist. Moving his lips closer to hers, he asked, "You liked that?"

"What do you think?" she said with a grin. "I owe you."

"You owe me nothing," he replied. "I did that because I wanted to, not to make you feel obligated to engage in reciprocal behavior."

She rocked her hips against him again, feeling his leather covered erection pressing against her thigh. "I want you inside me," she ordered.

He smiled, his lips grazing her hers as he unlaced his pants and whispered against her, "I'd hate to disappoint you."

He summoned the patience he had left, his hand lifting her thigh a little higher as he slowly pushed into the warmth of her body. She felt him shiver with pleasure as her body pulsed around him. He pulled out with the same patience, nearly leaving her body before she tightened her legs around him and welcomed him back into her.

His calm was receding as his desire escalated. She started to circle her hips against him, moving even when he was still. When she kissed him again, tasting her own flavor on his lips, he grabbed onto her hip and found a faster rhythm. She was addictive, and he needed her more than he'd ever needed anything. Even revenge. He was fucking her and she was fucking him back, their bodies moving as naturally as the waves of the sea crashed against the shore. When she started imploring him to go faster, whispering to him that she was _so_ close, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off of the barrel, holding her up as he thrust into her until they both cried out in release.

He set her back down against the barrel, kissing her neck softly as they relaxed. She whispered into his ear, "You'll be careful?"

"With what? Did I hurt you?" he asked as he backed away enough to see her face.

"You didn't hurt me. I meant when we reach that island. We don't know what we'll find there and…I need you to be careful."

"Rumpelstiltskin's had a target on my back for ages and I'm still here."

She smiled, "The men I care about seem to find themselves in harm's way."

"I've always been in harm's way. Part of being a pirate," he grinned. He touched his ear and asked, "Did I hear you correctly? Did you imply that you care about me?"

"I didn't imply it…I said it. Of course I do. And I need you with me. I need you to be careful."

He nodded and said with heartfelt sincerity, "As you wish."

* * *

Hook and Emma reached the island later that evening. The port was rudimentary but adequate, and Emma cast a protection spell on the Jolly Roger. Although she wasn't sure if the protection spell would hold against someone with even the most basic magic, she hoped it would at least keep away any casual intruders.

There was a small town surrounding the port. Old electric lights brightened the shops. The streets were cobblestone, and the buildings didn't appear to be as modern as those in Storybrooke. Hook and Emma walked through the streets, obviously attracting the attention of the locals. He nodded toward a tavern and said, "Probably the best place to find out information at this time of night."

Emma agreed, and they went into the tavern together. A trumpet blared as a jazz band played, and Emma led the pair to a seat in the corner so they could observe their surroundings. When the band took a break, Hook and Emma ordered drinks, and when Hook placed a few doubloons on the table, the waitress stared with widely confused eyes. "Oh, don't you worry," a deep, smoky man's voice boomed from behind Emma, "I've got their tab."

Emma looked up at the man, who had quite the imposing presence. Well over six feet tall, broad shouldered and barrel-chested, he had a wide, toothy grin, friendly eyes, and a dark complexion. She said, "Thank you Mister…"

"Name's Louis," he answered.

"Captain Killian Jones," Hook said, reaching out his hand.

"And who's your lady friend?"

"Leia," Emma interjected, using her alias once again as she reached out to shake Louis' hand.

Politely taking Emma's hand in greeting, Louis replied, "Nice to meet you. What brings you folks to our little town? We don't see a lot of visitors around here."

Hook gestured to the seat next to him and said, "We found ourselves in uncertain waters and were in need of provisions."

"Where are we?" Emma asked.

"You're the ones who sailed here," Louis said.

"But this area didn't appear on our maps," she answered.

"What was it you folks were searching for that would take you so far from home?" Louis questioned.

"What makes you think we're far from home?" Emma replied.

Louis smiled at each of them, quietly evaluating the visitors before he shook his head, "It's not hard to figure out. But you folks have questions. If you have questions, you're gonna have to ask Mama."

"Your mother?" Emma asked.

"We all call her Mama Odie 'cause she looks out for this town. If you have questions, she's the one with answers."

"You don't know the name of your own town?" Emma skeptically questioned.

"Like I said…you want answers, you talk to Mama," Louis answered with certainty.

"How do we find her?" Hook asked.

Moments later, Hook and Emma were walking to the outskirts of town. As busy and bustling as the town was, once they walked beyond the lit streets, the village was surrounded by either ocean or dense swampland in all directions. Louis led them to a partially overgrown path, lighting their way with a flashlight. They walked for nearly an hour until they came to a clearing next to a murky stream. A small house on stilts was at the center of the clearing. They climbed the rickety steps to a porch that surrounded the house. Louis knocked and opened the door when a voice shouted, "Come on in."

Hook and Emma walked in, noticing as they entered that the only light came from a fire at the center of the room where a large cauldron was bubbling over the flame. A woman stood behind the fire, and when she heard her visitors, lifted her head and announced in a thick Creole accent, "Kill-ee-ahn Jones. I knew you'd be coming to my door."

"Have we met?" he asked, hesitantly.

The woman walked out from behind her cauldron as Louis lit oil lamps that hung from the rafters. The room was cluttered with books and vials of various questionable objects. Strange dried skins and herbs hung from the ceiling, and symbols and runes could be found around the room. It was then that they knew they were in the home of a skilled practitioner of magic.

The woman was stunning, with smooth, caramel-toned skin, long flowing black hair, and voluptuous curves. As she came closer, it was clear that she was older than what she had appeared from afar. Her eyes were an extraordinarily pale blue, but the blue wasn't limited to only her irises, it covered even the whites and pupils of her eyes. She held out her hand in true ladylike fashion to Hook, who took it as a gentleman would. "We've met now," she answered with a sly grin. "My name's Odalee. But most folks here call me Mama."

Emma said, "I'm Leia—"

Odalee turned to Emma and said, knowingly, "Nice to meet you… _Emma Swan_."

Emma's eyes widened with shock as she shook Odalee's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Odalee leaned closer and said, "I don't like lies. Don't tell me one again. Now, what is it you seek, that brings you here to me?"

"We lost our bearings out at sea," Hook answered.

Odalee turned to Louis and said, "Go wait by the path." After Louis left, she continued, "Lost your bearings, or never had them?"

Emma swallowed and blurted the truth, "We don't know how we ended up in this part of the world or…realm. We're _really_ lost."

"Even with my extensive experience and my vast collection of star charts and maps, I can't exactly place our location except that we're…in between," Hook added.

"Limbo," Odalee answered.

"So it would seem," Hook replied.

Odalee nodded, "It _seems_ because it _is_. We have been here nearly one hundred years. The others, the citizens of this cursed town, do not know. We do not age. Each day, they continue on as they did the day before."

"Who cursed you?" Hook asked.

Odalee ominously answered, "I will take care of the one who cursed us as soon as I find a way to return my people to our home."

"I can help," Emma said.

"Because you saved Storybrooke?" Odalee asked. "This…is not Storybrooke. We had our own saviour."

" _Had_?" Emma wondered.

"Until a few days ago, our future was clear. In twenty-two years, our saviour would come. I have seen it. Then, one night, I saw a new vision. In a flash of orange light, her spirit was taken… _imprisoned_."

"Where? We can go after her," Emma determinedly offered.

Odalee sat in a chair and held out a hand. Hook and Emma watched as a long, thick snake slithered into her palm and wound its way up her arm and behind her neck. Once it was settled, her finger gently pet the reptile's head. "Something changed. Someone disrupted the timeline."

Hook and Emma exchanged a look and Emma asked, "How?"

"Time travel," Odalee answered and stared in their direction, although it seemed clear the woman was blind. "You two know something about that. Don't you?"

"Inadvertently," Hook explained. "We were pulled into a portal."

"But we fixed everything that we changed," Emma argued.

Odalee nodded and said, "You fixed your past. You changed the future."

"Maybe, but—" Emma began before she was interrupted.

"Dear girl…" Odalee said, "don't you know that your future is someone else's past? You don't know the effects you had on your own future because you haven't seen it yet. But your future…has changed, too."

"How do we fix it? Tell us how to free the girl and we'll do it," Emma said.

"It won't be easy," Odalee warned.

"Were our futures were changed as well?" Hook asked.

Odalee sighed, "If you do not correct what you've changed, you will lose your happy endings. Both of you. "

"What? How?" Emma asked worriedly.

Odalee nodded, "The girl is the key."

The woman stood, walking to her cauldron and signaling for her visitors to join her. She touched the boiling liquid at the center of the pot without flinching, tapping the water enough times to cause ripples throughout it that eventually became smooth as glass. Hook and Emma looked into the liquid, both gasping when they saw the same girl that they'd seen days earlier when Emma had gazed into the mirror and they saw a child trapped and begging for help.

"You know her?" Odalee asked.

"We saw her," Emma confessed. "In a vision a few days ago."

Odalee closed her eyes and smiled as she nodded, "Your destiny is calling you. Will you go?"

"Yes," Emma said as Hook nodded.

"You'll need protection. And a guide," Odalee replied. "Tomorrow. After _manje midi_."

"When?" Hook asked.

"Rest tonight. Have your noon meal at the tavern. Louis will arrange it. Then come back here. I'll give you what you need for your journey," Odalee explained.

"Where are we going?" Emma asked.

Odalee put her hand to her forehead and sighed as she walked to her chair, "I must rest. Come back tomorrow, Emma Swan, and your journey will begin."


	4. Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter is mostly fluff and smut. Thanks so much to those who review, follow and favorite. I truly appreciate it!

They stepped back on the Jolly Roger that night after Louis guided them from Odalee's home back to town. Even though it had only been a few days, Emma already felt somewhat at home on the ship. In spite of his exhaustion, Hook wanted to savor a few moments alone with her. She was standing quietly, her hands braced on the sides of the boat as she watched the moonlight quiver on the water.

He stepped up behind her, his hand covering hers as he kissed her shoulder. She sighed, leaning a little more easily into his embrace each time it was offered. "Do you understand what your life would be like?" she asked, abruptly.

"What?" he questioned.

"If something were to work out…between you and me…It would never really be an easy life. It would never be quiet."

"You think the life of a pirate is peaceful and quiet? You think I'm hoping for that?"

"I don't know what you're hoping for. Do you ever dream of plundering your way to enough wealth so you can retire and sit on a beach swilling rum? I can't just tell magic and the entire town of Storybrooke that I'm done. I've tried, and it didn't work out."

"As I recall, I was one of those urging you to stay in Storybrooke…to not run from magic and your family. You were ready to retire from this life, I wasn't."

"I'm being honest."

"It would be _our_ life," he answered matter-of-factly. "I've lived most of my life as a pirate. Although I'm a bit of a novice to life as a hero, I'm not a novice to a life of danger and adventure. Don't forget, I've been around a good deal longer than you. I've more experience."

His hand settled low on her stomach, holding her against him and silently reassuring her of his intended permanence.

"Are you sure that's the life you want? Life in Storybrooke? You know that if you're with me, my son will always be part of my life, so that means he'd be in yours," she continued.

He amusedly countered, "Are you concerned that I'd find life too boring, or not boring enough, love?"

"Henry is—"

Hook interrupted, "I like the lad. And he likes me well enough. So what's the problem?"

"He does. But it also means my parents and my new little brother and a whole fairytale book full of people."

"You seem to forget…there's a devastatingly handsome gentleman pictured in that book with you."

"Prince Charles," she said as she pressed her forehead against the side of his face. "He is a looker."

"That book…well, it shows quite a number of people who are destined to be together. True love, and all that. I think it would be exceedingly bad form for me to depart from this protocol and your family tradition when I know perfectly well who that Prince was."

"I just want you to know what you're getting in to."

"Perhaps you are the one who is worried about what she is getting in to," Hook suggested with some concern.

"No," she replied, turning around in his arms and pressing her fingertips to his chest. "I know how to take care of myself. If I was worried, I would have run already."

"Good. You've nothing to worry about. At least nothing that pertains to me."

He watched her eyes drift down as her hand pushed his shirt to the side. Her fingers found an aged, smooth line in his skin, a scar that was usually hidden behind the dark hair that dusted his chest. "What's this from?" she asked while her fingers persistently sought the exact edges of the mark.

"Took a fall as a lad. Hardly a tale of the glory of the high seas."

She opened his vest and shirt, finding a scar on his side that she'd noticed the night before. "And this one?"

With a look of the utmost seriousness and pride, he replied, "Defending this ship not long after I'd taken over as captain. She's worth all of the wounds I've collected over the years in her defense."

"You really love this boat. Don't you?"

"Aye."

"Must have hurt."

"A mere scratch," he said with a flashing eyebrow. Then, with a sudden look of sobriety, he added, "There is something that means more to me than this ship."

She looked at him, immediately overwhelmed by the depth of emotion in his eyes and laced through his words. Emma saw a few people on shore gawking at the unfamiliar vessel. Grateful for the distraction, she whispered, "Maybe we should move this party below deck."

Once he was in his cabin, he asked, challengingly, "So you want privacy so you can study me?"

"Study you?" she laughed. "You act like that's a bad thing. Isn't that part of getting to know someone? Sharing history, stories… After all, you can read me like an open book, right?"

"I can. Although I'd like to turn a few of the pages. There's more to know, I suspect. That is…if you'll let me peruse the rest of the novel."

"My turn tonight," she said with a playful grin as she ran her hand down his arm and weaved her fingers between his.

She stepped forward until her torso was pressed against him. She took his hand and the wrist below his hook and seductively moved them behind his back as she brought her lips so close that he could almost feel them. He watched as her smile turned from playful to mischievous. The look seemed oddly familiar, for some reason, and he felt a cold ring of metal clasp and tighten around his wrists. As he tried to pull forward, he realized the handcuffs that she had surreptitiously put on him were wound through a heavy chair that sat by the desk. He shook his head, "You can't possibly be serious. What the hell are you doing?" he asked, a little worriedly as he recalled their history. After all, he was pretty sure he could get his hook out from the trap if given enough time, even though the cuffs were tightly secured below the brace, but he wasn't sure what she was thinking. "I wouldn't advise going exploring on your own here, Swan. Don't try to leave me behind."

She moved with almost impossible slowness, teasingly coming forward until her lips gently brushed his. "I'm not going to leave you behind. I'm keeping you here where I can _study_ you. I think this whole pirate thing has gone to my head, prisoner."

The tension in his chest seemed to relax, and he observed, "I've been shackled by you more times than any other person in all of my years. In a giant's lair, in the middle of New York City, in a hospital. I stand by my earlier suggestion that maybe this is your thing."

She smirked knowingly and nodded, "Maybe it is."

He was leaning partially back against the chair he was secured to. She could seduce him without even touching him, and she was proving that to him as they stood there. "Are you starting to get turned on?" Emma asked, playfully. She could see him translating an unfamiliar phrase in his head.

"Perhaps, temptress."

"You must really like me, if I excite you just by being close. I haven't even done anything yet," she teased.

"Well, the last few days have fueled my assumptions. Good things seem to come from the moments when you're this close to me. At least," he leaned forward and roughly but very briefly captured her lips, "when you're looking at me that way."

"What way?" she asked, touching the skin just above his hip.

"The way you are right now," he answered, smugly. "Admit it. You find me _almost_ irresistible."

She pulled her hand back, "Do you want me to resist you? Because we both know I have before."

"I'd never hope for that, m'love," he answered with a grin, unwilling to look disappointed or concerned that she'd pulled away. He was trying not to fear retreats, because they always seemed to find their way back to each other again.

She thought for a second about leaving him down there, or at least making him worry a little as her competitive nature bubbled under her skin, but she really didn't want to run at that moment. "How about this one?" she asked, changing the subject and pointing to a spot low on his stomach as she moved a lantern closer to see.

"That one showed up after a long night at tavern," he confessed, "though the exact circumstances are lost on me."

"Blaming the rum?" she asked as she touched yet another of the marks on his skin that spoke to a long and adventurous past.

"Indeed," he said, his breath hitching hopefully when her fingers moved lower and followed the place where his pants met his skin. But she seemed to consider something, and her hands moved upward to his chest again.

The heel of her hand pressed against him, feeling the beat of his heart beneath his ribs. "How did you manage to keep your heart?" she asked.

"It's yours, Swan," he said under the assumption that she was speaking metaphorically.

"No I mean…your heart. You worked with Cora and Regina when she was proud to be the _Evil_ Queen, obviously disappointing them both at least once or twice. But neither of them took your heart? Neither of them killed you or wanted to control you? Between the two of them, they had quite a collection."

"They both needed me to be me, to act as I would, more than they wanted to control me. And often they were trying to use me to get at each other, and, both would have probably recognized such trickery. But Cora had her hands on it before. It's not pleasant. Was it painful when she tried to take yours?"

"God, yea. It was horrible."

"But yours cannot be taken."

"I guess not."

"Not even by a pirate who's entirely devoted to winning it?" he only half teased, but she was too seriously considering something to joke with him at that moment.

"It's mine?" she asked with her hand still over his chest.

"Whether you want it or not," he replied with a nod.

"I don't know if this will work."

"What will work?"

She closed her eyes, splaying her fingers and summoning all of the power she had within. Her hand glowed white for a moment and then he felt the most intense warming sensation throughout his whole body. It was the counterpoint to the pain he'd felt when Cora reached into his chest and squeezed his heart. This was a feeling so opposite pain that it lacked adequate definition. Even after the light faded, warmth radiated from his chest and coursed through his veins with each pump of the muscle. She was blinking at her hands, trying to understand the breadth of the power that she had. She felt her magic growing more powerful, but she wasn't sure if it was because she was learning to use it or if it was because of this new place they had found.

"What was that?" he asked as he looked down.

"I don't know what we're going to be up against. Hopefully…it was a protection spell. So no one can rip out your heart. At least not easily."

"Thank you," he said, not nearly as stunned by her power as she was.

"Well, if it's mine, I need to make sure no one else can take it," she said confidently, trying to shrug off the intensity of what had just passed between them. She knew he must have sensed the depths of her emotion. Even if she wasn't prepared to say the words, it was obvious that he'd felt her feelings through the exchange.

"Emma…," he began, his tone full of things he wanted to say.

She wasn't ready to hear his words though. They had a journey before them. She was uncertain of the dangers they'd face, and she was already terrified of losing him. "Where were we?" she asked coquettishly.

Her fingers slipped down over his stomach, feeling the ripple of his muscles beneath her almost ticklish touch.

Sensing that she wasn't in the mood to discuss feelings and hoping beyond reason that she wasn't going to pull away, he flashed a sexy grin and answered, "I believe you're moving in the right direction."

She was already learning her way around his clothes, and she'd untied his laces and slid her hand into his pants as he watched. She palmed his cock, caressing his skin a little too gently for his liking. "Unshackle me," he ordered, sounding more the role of the demanding Captain than she'd heard in a while.

"Patience."

"Patience be damned. Let me touch you," he demanded, his resolve giving way to pleasure as she tightened her grip and started stroking him slowly but more firmly.

"We need to be careful."

"I will be as careful as you desire," he offered, his eyes seeking understanding in hers.

"I mean physically speaking, like birth control. I didn't exactly see any doctors or pharmacies around here."

"Pharmacy?"

"For medication. Or condoms. Anything to avoid a tiny bundle of surprise in nine months. Neither of us wants that. What did you use in your world?" she wondered as a question that she'd never thought to ask before suddenly seemed relevant.

"Tonics. Potions, depends on the realm and region," he replied like it was obvious. "We'll talk to the witch tomorrow," he whispered as he rocked his hips to seek relief for the desire that was becoming too much to ignore.

"Potions?" she skeptically countered.

"Probably more reliable than whatever the hell a _pharmacy_ is," he answered, pulling at his cuffs when he tried to reach for her.

"For now, we need to be careful," she argued.

"Alright," he replied with surrender.

Emma smirked at the disappointed look on his face, and then she wrapped her arms around him. She pushed her hands down the back of his pants and grabbed his ass, pulling his body against hers while she kissed him. He loved the way she kissed, she was certain of that. Her hands wiggled over to his hips, and she started pushing his pants to the ground. She followed them down until she was kneeling before him. She lifted an eyebrow, making sure he was watching her.

She faintly kissed the head of his cock, letting her lips rub softly over his sensitive flesh. He breathed out her name as she slowly opened her lips and surrounded just the tip. Her lips and tongue moved over his smooth skin, tasting his flavor. Her hands surrounded him just as she took more of his length in her mouth. As he looked at her, she met his gaze, and he felt the electricity of his pleasure arc more intensely.

He moved his hips in time with the rhythm she was creating, not roughly, but just enough so he could feel himself slipping in and out of her mouth. She started to quicken her pace and he could feel the tension in his groin creating a yearning in his body that screamed for release. As he came, he actually shouted something in the garbled language of a man lost to bliss before all of the tension that had wrung through his muscles melted into relaxation.

He looked at her again, watching her lips skate over him until she was certain that he couldn't take any more. Standing before her, only partially unclothed and wanting her close, he requested, "Come here."

She stood, claiming a smug expression of her own before his hands suddenly moved out from behind his back. In one quick move, he had her wrist cuffed as he tightened the other end around the chair. She looked stunned that he had freed himself, and he explained, simply, "Pirate."

"If you were able to concentrate enough to pick a lock, I must have been doing something wrong."

"You were perfect," he complimented honestly. "I had the locks opened before you started."

"Seriously?" she giggled, inspecting her own wrist to weigh the chances that she could break free.

She remembered the key that had been in her pocket, but before she could reach it, he dangled it in front of her from his hook. He reminded her, again, "Pirate."

"If you're so good at escape, why did the shackles hold you in the giant's lair?"

"Less to do with the shackles, more to do with the giant." Looking at her with purpose, he came closer and roughly pulled her into an embrace. "Now," he said, "my turn."

He tugged open her shirt with his hook, ripping some of the strands of fabric before he exposed a breast that he eagerly focused his attention on. The welcoming softness of his mouth, the delicate scrape of his teeth, the rough scratch of his beard, all sensations that could have been overpowering, but they took a back seat to the needy desire she could feel from him. Beneath the gentleman, the man who'd shown patience, persistence and loyalty, was a strong, virile man who desired her with his entire being. As much as she appreciated the man he had become, she still liked the pirate who was so much a part of who he was.

His hand worked its way into her pants, moving immediately to the top of her thigh and pressing until she parted her legs for him. His fingers easily wiggled between her folds, feeling the wetness that coated her in response to their activities. Longing and love filled his eyes as he looked at her, watching pleasure wash over her expression as he rolled her clit between his fingers. He said nothing, instead listening to the sounds of her breath and her soft gasps and moans. His finger pressed into her core, desperate to get lost in her slick warmth and already missing the feeling of being buried inside her. With the heel of his hand rocking against her clit with each penetration, he patiently built her desire. "Tell me, Swan," he whispered as she moaned in his ear. "Tell me you want me."

"I want you," she easily admitted before she tipped her head back and pressed her pelvis against his hand.

"Tell me you are mine."

Feeling more exposed than she liked, she leaned forward and rested her forehead against his shoulder to avoid his gaze. She wanted to grab his shoulders with both hands and wrap her arms around his neck and hold him close as her orgasm swelled. But she settled for grabbing his shirt with her free hand while her head rested against him. She tried to kiss him when she knew he was going to ask the question again, but he turned his face just enough that she couldn't quite reach his lips.

"You _do_ know I'm yours," he affirmed again, implying the question he'd already asked.

"God, I know," she loudly cried out, her delicate voice rasping as she came. Her free hand reached down, holding his hand against her while her hips twisted and turned as her body reached its climax and held the sensations for a few delicious moments before she settled into the warmth of his embrace and the familiarity she was already beginning to feel with him. "You know you mean so much to me, don't you?" she asked, sleepily.

He nodded, wanting more, but knowing that she wasn't ready to say more yet.

"Maybe I should keep you tied up here," he said while he kissed a trail from the cap of her shoulder to her ear. "I can see why you are so fond of restraining me."

She smiled at him, flicking her hand as the key for the handcuffs appeared, and she quickly released the lock. "Magic," she said, using the same tone to explain her freedom that he'd used when he attributed his own way out of the handcuffs to the simple word, 'pirate.'

They were both exhausted after their journey to this island and then the long walk to see Odalee. It wasn't long before they were asleep in his bed. It was the first full night they could spend together without having to get up and check the ship's direction. It was just the two of them, enjoying a rest that would too soon be over. Although Emma was guarded with words, she curled against him and held him in a way that was both reassuring and addictive.

As exhausted as he was, Hook still couldn't sleep. He was trying to enjoy the feeling of her sleeping against him, trying to remember everything about it, like bottling the memory so he could keep it forever. Who knew what the next journey would bring, and when they'd have a chance to sleep undisturbed again. He felt the intensity of her feelings for him when she'd tried to protect his heart. It was such a powerful, complete sensation. But part of him wanted her to confess her feelings in words so he was certain. It seemed like ages ago that he'd admitted that he loved her, and he wondered if she would ever be able to confess such feelings for him. He wondered if she could ever fully feel the same way. He didn't want to push her, didn't want to lose her because of his own impatience. So he tightened his arm around her to feel more of her body against his. He closed his eyes to listen to the sound of her breath, breathing in more deeply to remember her smell. Just before he fell asleep, he realized that, although he had been completely honest when he'd confessed his feelings before, he loved her so much more than he did when he'd first realized it. He wasn't done chasing this woman. Without a doubt, he knew he'd follow her on this adventure, every adventure, in any realm, for as long as she'd have his company.


	5. Atonement

In the morning Hook and Emma woke, enjoying a few minutes of quiet together in his cabin before they knew it was time to go. There were people to rescue, a home to return to, towns to uncurse, a normal day in their lives, it seemed. Once they got to town, both were eager to get on with their journey, but Louis insisted that they eat before going to see the woman he referred to as ‘Mama,’ since those were her instructions. It was clear that, though the locals seemed to have genuine affection for Odalee, they also seemed to fear her.

Shortly thereafter, they began the long trek through the swampland. This time, Odalee was ready for them. Emma and Hook made a some requests and Odalee moved around her home, knowing every jar, nook and cranny as she gathered a few things and put them in a leather satchel that she gave to Emma. “This map will help guide your way,” Odalee said, producing a small opaque sphere and waiting for Hook to take it. “But do not use it until you leave the borders of this place.”

“How will we know where to go until then?” Emma asked.

“Head toward the setting sun,” Odalee answered. “You will come to a narrow passage that will take you beyond the limits of this cursed land. Once you are on the other side, use magic to activate the map. It will take you to where you need to go.”

“And once we free the lass?” Hook questioned.

“Bring her back to me,” Odalee replied.

“You said something about a guide…,” Emma mentioned.

“With that map, you will have what you need,” the older woman answered.

Emma nodded, accepting the challenge with confidence, “Let’s go.”

“Are you familiar with the concept of penance?” Odalee asked before they could leave.

“Of course,” Hook answered, turning slowly back to Odalee.

“In order to succeed in your quest, you will both be tested. The first test you will face will require atonement. You will have to pay the price for the sins of your past and prove your worth,” Odalee replied.

“What sort of restitution will I be required to offer?” he asked.

“It’s not a matter of restitution. It’s about cleansing, and balancing your debt with the universe. I have told you all that I know. The spirits will decide how you must atone.”

“That’s not a lot to go on,” Emma argued.

”I have no more information to give you, but I wanted to give you warning,” Odalee replied. “Go to your ship. Louis will gather any things you may need for your journey.”

* * *

 

Louis and a group of men he’d brought to the docks delivered supplies to the Jolly Roger. They worked quickly and by late afternoon, Hook and Emma had the necessary supplies and set sail. She was grateful that Henry and her parents weren’t in danger this time, at least she hoped. She wished she could get a message to them. The sea was calm and the voyage began almost too quietly.

Just as the sun set that night, Emma caught Hook looking at her from behind the helm. He seemed no less awed by her now that their relationship had actually become physical. In fact, he almost seemed more captivated than he had been. She walked slowly toward him, eradicating the space between them as night closed in. His eyes never left hers, a smile so subtle on his face that she wondered if she might be the only person in the world who could see it for what it was. As the sun gave a final wink on the horizon, she felt a surge of confidence that told her that nothing and no one could possibly make him stop looking at her like that. Even if she wasn’t admitting anything out loud, her feelings were growing for him by the day. He had been right for quite some time: He’d won her without trickery or deception, and she _did_ want him.

At the very moment that she acknowledged her feelings with certainty, his eyes closed and his muscles tensed for just a few seconds, a light blue haze surrounding his entire body. Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what had just happened to him. “You okay?” she asked.

He looked at her, his eyes questioning something for a moment. “Who are—,“ he started to say, pausing when something caught his eye. Looking toward his hook, she could see the complete confusion that settled on his face before he shook his wrist a few times, seemingly hoping the attachment would fall away.

He stumbled backward a few steps, trying to back away from the hook as his expression spoke to his complete shock. He tried to pull at the brace where his hook was attached, hoping to find his hand beneath. Realizing the complete depth of his disorientation, Emma held a hand out and lightly touched his forearm, “Killian,” she said comfortingly, “relax. Everything is fine.”

“It’s fine? Who are you?” he angrily yelled, grasping for a sword he seemed to expect would be attached at his hip but was no longer there. “Stay back,” he warned.

“It’s me. Emma. Swan.”

“I know no Swan. What happened to my bloody hand?” he said tugging at the base that covered his wrist.

“I can help you take that off, if you want.”

“I want you to stay back,” he ordered. “Who took it? The boy? The boy who let my brother die?”

“Rumpelstiltskin,” she answered, “he took your hand. I’ll explain everything. Your name is Kill—“

“I know my damn name!” he argued. “Where are my men? My crew? What did you do to them?”

“It’s been just you and me on this ship for days. You haven’t had a crew for a while, since you came to find me. After we returned to Storybrooke, you stayed. You didn’t reassemble your crew.”

“And why, exactly, would I do that? I’m a _pirate_ ,” he said less certainly than she was used to. “I need a bloody crew.”

She wondered how many years had disappeared from his memory. He was obviously shocked at the loss of his hand, and he still seemed hesitant about declaring himself a pirate. She wondered if he believed his brother had recently died. “You did it because you care about me. You helped me rescue my son. You saved my father’s life. You don’t remember any of that?” she asked.

“I care about myself, lass.”

“You and I, we’re…close.”

“Your trickery hasn’t worked on me, witch. I don’t know what you’ve done to my hand or my men, but I will find out and I _will_ avenge them.”

“I didn’t do anything. I’m not a witch. I can explain everything.”

He found a sword, finally, lifting it in front of his body in defense. He warned, “Then hurry and explain before I run out of patience.”

“Killian, you and I have known each other for a while now. Don’t you remember the giant’s lair? New York? You…confessed your love for me in the Echo Cave in Neverland. You gave up your ship to cross realms and save me?”

He looked down at the deck and said, “I may have lost my brother, my hand and my crew…but clearly I still have my ship…since I’m standing on it.”

“We don’t know how you got it back, but you did trade it so you could come for me. A few days ago, you and I were together outside of Granny’s—“

“What’s _Granny’s_? What in the hell are you talking about?”

“A diner, sort of like a tavern. We were together. You and I. And something happened and we ended up here in…limbo. Between worlds. Wait until you can see the stars. You’ll see. You told me we’re between different worlds but you’ve never been here before. We met Odalee. She sent us on a quest to free a girl who’s been imprisoned. The girl is guarded and we were told we’d have to atone for our mistakes. I think they took your memories because you took someone else’s in your quest for revenge. It’s a really long story. But if you put down the sword, I will tell you all about it.”

He considered everything she’d said, and then narrowed his eyes. “I see no reason to believe anything you’ve said.”

The lack of connection in his gaze, the complete absence of love in his eyes, made him seem like a different man. She wanted to answer all of his questions, to take away his pain, explain his hook, comfort him in his moment of confusion. As she fought the urge to wrap her arms around him and kiss him, she had an idea. It seemed so obvious, once she thought of it. True love’s kiss would surely break whatever curse he was under.

“You can trust me,” she said, stepping nearer. She walked around his sword, coming closer to his body. She touched his wrist, gently pushing on it to get him to lower his sword. “You don’t need that sword,” she whispered, alluringly.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” she said with a reassuring smile.

Her fingers brushed his vest as she leaned closer, bringing her lips to his. “I’m not that daft,” he answered.

“You and I…we know each other. I can remind you.”

Before her lips could touch his, he stepped away and lifted his sword between them. “Back away,” he commanded.

“It’s just a kiss.”

“That’s what you are…some kind of siren. You lured my men to their deaths and now you’re here for me. You’ve chosen the wrong pirate to captivate.”

“I didn’t hurt them. I don’t know how, but you’ve forgotten years and years of time. You’ve had that hook for a very long time, but you don’t even remember getting it. I need you to trust me.”

“How exactly will a _kiss_ make me trust you?” he skeptically scoffed.

She sighed with hesitation and said, reluctantly, “Because a kiss like this can break any curse. And I think you’ve been cursed.”

“You don’t lack confidence.”

“It’s not about confidence. It’s about how we feel about each other.”

“This is a risk I’m not willing to take. Get in the hold.”

“What?”

“Get in the cargo hold while I figure this out,” he said, directing her with his blade.

“Take me to your cabin. We slept there, together, last night. I’m sure I can find something to prove that to you. My clothes, my clothes from my world, are down there. That’s proof,” she argued, her voice growing higher as she tried to convince him.

“Proof of what? You could have stowed away on this ship, used sorcery, had an accomplice.”

“Killian,” she said, her eyes wide as she stared into them, “you can _trust_ me.”

For a moment, it seemed that she’d won him over, but then his expression hardened and he said, “My brother trusted someone. Because of that trust, he’s now dead. I’m not about to die today.”

“Listen to me,” she pleaded, but she could see he wasn’t going to budge.

She considered using her magic, but figured that wouldn’t do anything to gain his trust since he was already worried she was a witch.

“You can’t just imprison me forever,” she said.

“I’m not,” he said, looking much the part of the noble gentleman. “If someone else did this to me, you’ll be safer below deck. Perhaps you don’t realize it, and it’s actually _your_ memory that has been tampered with. If you are what I fear you are, I’ll be saving my own skin.”

Stepping back slowly toward the hold she said, “Check your cabin. Something has to remind you of who you are.”

“I know damn well who I am.”

It was so hard for her to go willingly, to step down into the cargo hold to be kept prisoner there, but it seemed the best course of action. He followed down, locking the other door she could use to escape before he awkwardly climbed the ladder while he tried to get used to the hook. She watched the hatch close and heard him lock it to keep her below. Casually flicking her wrist and lighting a lamp, she sighed. It seemed clear to Emma that Hook’s particular atonement was probably related to how he’d shot Belle, and forced her over Storybrooke’s town line, causing her to lose her memory. She wondered if this was part of her atonement as well because now she’d have to find a way to get Hook to trust her again. It certainly felt like she was being punished.

The practical aspects were an undeniable set of problems. She would have to show him he could trust her and convince him to continue their quest if she ever wanted to see her family again. The thing that bothered her most was the lack of acknowledgment or affection in his eyes. She’d become accustomed to his honest adoration. Hook, she knew without a doubt, truly loved her. He had for quite some time, and losing that was not only difficult, it was painful. She had only one course of action, she would have to win his love this time. He’d been patient and spent time winning her heart, but now it was her turn.


	6. Hope

Emma tried to get comfortable as she listened to Hook pace from stern to bow for hours. He’d stop his pacing for a few seconds at a time, and she guessed he was inspecting something that he’d found. She'd been locked below deck for nearly an entire day. She'd slept fitfully a few times, just short bursts of sleep that weren’t nearly adequate enough, but at least it was something. She needed to figure out how to deal with this latest challenge. She needed Hook to remember.

Finally she heard something different as he descended from the deck down to his cabin. She could hear him there, looking through his things, and she hoped that he might see something that would jog his memory. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he opened the door and stepped inside.

“Stay seated,” he ordered, the sword gripped firmly in his hand.

“Okay,” she nodded, putting her hands up in front of her in surrender.

He came in and sat on a crate, lowering the sword but keeping it in hand. “Now,” he threatened, “as briefly as possible, I want you to answer one question for me. If I don’t believe you, I am going to leave.”

“If I know the answer, I’ll tell you,” she nodded, an earnest look in her eyes.

He pulled up his jacket sleeve with his hook, still trying to get used to the unfamiliar apparatus, and revealed his tattoo. He asked, “Who is Milah?”

“I don’t know if that’s question I can answer _briefly_.”

He sneered, lifting his sword and standing to leave.

“Wait,” she argued. “I’ll tell you what I know. Milah was the woman you loved.”

“You said I declared my love for you at some cave. I had trouble making up my mind?” he sarcastically asked.

“You loved her a long, long time ago. She was married to a man who was the Dark One or…became the Dark One. She chose you. He killed her, he ripped out her heart. And he cut off your hand. You devoted your life to seeking revenge. I don’t know much else. It isn’t exactly something you like to talk about, so I don’t really know the details. But you told me that you never thought you’d love anyone after her…until me.”

He nodded and stood to leave, and she assumed he was probably going to continue his exploration alone. “Wait,” she argued, “don’t leave me down here. I can help you and I need your help. I need to get back to my son.”

Ignoring her, Hook went to his cabin, and Emma felt like she’d lost her chance. She was growing impatient, and seriously considering obliterating the door with her magic and subduing him until he believed her. Just then, he returned. He held out her clothes, draped over his hook. “These yours?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“These don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen. Why’d you change out of your clothes for pirate togs? Trying to blend in with my crew?” he accused.

“I wanted to wash them. And we went on shore yesterday and were planning on using your reputation as a pirate to avoid any trouble. I wanted to look the part. You gave them to me.”

“I’ve a _reputation_ as a pirate already?” he asked, adding glibly, “I must be doing something right.”

“In my world you certainly have a reputation…or _had_. The people who know you see that you’ve changed. But in many worlds, you were feared. Notorious. You’re…Captain Hook.”

“Captain Hook? Well that’s inventive.” He lifted his hook toward her, “Take your things.”

She moved cautiously, retrieving her clothes. “You believe me?”

“Not sure. I have no recollection of this tattoo, of Milah, of you, of losing my hand. I don’t recognize the crates our provisions are kept in either, and I certainly don’t recognize the skies. Seems a somewhat elaborate story for you to make up, so it’s clear something is going on. I’m still not sure exactly what. But how are you certain that _your_ memories are the accurate ones? Perhaps your mind was tampered with as well.”

“Because I saw the moment when you lost your memory. Everything was fine and then…it was like something grabbed onto you and took your memory. Just like when people cross the town line in Storybrooke.”

“I don’t remember any such place.”

“It’s where my son and my parents are. It’s where you live now. At least I think you are planning on staying or…were planning on staying.”

He thought silently for a few minutes and asked tentatively, “Was the thought of me staying favorable? In your opinion?”

“Well…sure,” she answered hesitantly.

He laughed, sarcastically retorting, “I don’t know how I could refuse such an impassioned plea for my companionship.”

“I do want you to stay. Of course,” she said with a half-smile.

“Well so far you’ve told me that I’ve declared my love for you, but I’ve heard nothing of your feelings for me in this… _other_ world.”

“It’s complicated.”

He snickered, looking a lot like the pirate she guessed many people feared. Every time he looked at her, she realized how much she missed the way he used to look at her. “Now _that_ is quite the equivocal answer. Isn’t it?” he replied.

“I care about you very, very much.”

“I suppose a man who’d declared his love for you would be quite disappointed in that particular response. Luckily for me then, the only thing I love is this ship.”

The words hit her like a blunt blow to the chest, and he could clearly see her reaction written on her face. And she could see him, too, the way his tough, uncaring visage softened the moment he sensed that he’d hurt her. Regardless of her words, he could see a glimpse of how much he meant to her.

Almost immediately, he said, “I apologize, lass. I fear my lack of ability to properly navigate a course in these unfamiliar skies, and numerous…,” he held up his hook, “changes…have me a bit disconcerted.”

“No,” she tried to answer nonchalantly. “It’s fine.”

“It’s no excuse for rudeness.”

“Hook,” she started, correcting, “ _Killian_ …Captain Jones…whatever. You think you haven’t been a pirate for very long?”

“What does that matter?”

“I’m trying to figure out how far back you’ve gone. We were told we’d have to atone for our wrongdoings. I think that, maybe, if I can figure out how far back you’ve gone, we can figure out what you did that you need to fix. Hopefully once we fix it, you'll get your memories back. I had a theory, but now I’m not sure.”

“Not long. Weeks since I’ve taken possession of my ship and rechristened her,” he admitted.

“In your memory, did your brother just recently die?”

His head lowered slightly, “Aye. Quite recently. Perhaps it’s his death, or my choice to become a pirate that someone’s holding me accountable for. _If_ what you believe to be true is true.”

“I don’t think so,” she argued. “You’re a good man, pirate or not. You’ve done really good things, proven yourself, helped people. You _have_ atoned,” she leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees as she tried to figure a way out of their problem. Finally, deciding that the only course of action was to continue with their quest, if she could convince him, she said, “Whether you believe me or not…I need your help.”

“What’s in it for me?” he asked, in true pirate form.

“Your memories. Your life. You know something’s not right here. I can tell.”

At that moment they could hear a loud thud against the deck above them. Hook jumped up, setting foot on the ladder before he looked at her and ordered, “Stay here.”

“What?” she asked, full of irritation. “I can help you!”

“I said stay here,” he yelled before he scaled the ladder.

She could hear him on deck for just a moment, recognizing the sounds of a scuffle. She was seldom one for being ordered around, and whatever he was facing, she wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle it alone. Without another thought, she followed him. Once she was on deck, she could see large, winged creatures flying through the air. Hook stood near the front of the ship, his sword slicing powerfully through one beast before he turned to the next creature that swooped toward him. He was holding his own against that creature as well, but then she saw two of them flying toward him from behind his back. She jumped the rest of the way on deck, warning him, “Look out!”

He turned, trying to angle his sword, but she feared he’d be overwhelmed. Flashes of magic like white bursts of electricity extended from her palms and held off the creatures until they disappeared into piles of dust at his feet. He looked at her, eyes wide, and she wondered if he was grateful for the help or too concerned with the possibility that she was a witch who’d used magic to dispense of his crew and steal his memory. Before she could figure out his thoughts, he ran toward her, yelling, “Swan!” as he charged forward.

Moving with impressive speed, he went past her, attacking a creature that had come up behind her with his sword and hook, digging into the beast with a motion that was so practiced she guessed it was an instinct that his body still had even if his memory didn’t actively recall the ability. The practiced dispatching of an enemy and the familiar way he shouted her name made it seem clear to her that, beneath his loss of memory, the man she’d come to know still existed.

Without words, he turned so they were back to back, walking carefully toward the center of the deck while they surveyed the skies for more threats. “Keep sharp,” he ordered. “They’re fast.”

“What the hell was that?”

“Wyvern,” he explained. “I’ve heard of such creatures but never seen them before.”

A loud flapping sound made them both look up, but it was just the sails as they deflated. For a moment, it was as if all of the winds had completely died. As they looked to the sides, even the sea was smooth as glass without as much as a ripple in the water. The calm quiet was disarming as they waited to see what was going to happen next. Then the wind seemed to come back to life, and as it swirled around their bodies and filled the sails, they heard a ghostly voice slowly breathe, “Em-ma.”

“That was weird,” she blandly answered. “Did you hear that?”

“I did.” His hook encircled her arm as he turned her toward him. “I also saw how you dispatched of those creatures,” he added.

“Magic. I have some.”

“Clearly. And you lied.”

“I didn’t. I’m not a witch. I’m the product of true love. I just started to learn to control my magic. I didn’t do this to you, and I didn’t do anything to your crew.”

He looked at her worriedly, finally turning away. “Where, exactly, do you think we're headed?”

“We were told to sail into the setting sun to find a passage out of here. After that, we have something that will help guide us,” she sighed, contented that the immediate threat was gone. Sincerely, she said, “You saved my life. Thank you.”

For a moment she remembered Neverland, and another expression of gratitude. It felt more familiar, the two of them teamed up against a common enemy. He nodded at her, and then said as he put his sword in its sheath, “No gratitude is necessary, I assure you.” Sensing her question, he added, “You saved my life as well. Seems we’re even.”

Disappointment rushed over her. Things had seemed almost normal between them as they battled a common foe, but it was clear he was still keeping his distance. When he’d screamed out her name to warn her and they so easily coordinated their efforts to escape the threat, she’d almost forgotten how much things had changed.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, as he looked for a wound.

“I’m fine,” she answered so quickly that it didn’t take much to realize she was covering up for something.

“Right,” he replied with obvious disbelief. “Well, head below deck for the night.”

“You can’t possibly be expecting me to go down there and wait like your prisoner,” she practically shouted.

He pointed to the hatch to his cabin, and said with polite but stern chivalry, “You’ll have my cabin to rest. I insist. Do you think that is how I treat prisoners?”

“I can't sleep right now. You admitted it, I saved you, too. So we’re safer if we stick together,” she pleaded.

“Is this your way of inviting me to bed?” he teased roguishly.

“Maybe,” she replied, suggestively flirting in the hopes that he’d consider it. Her feelings for him were too genuine and deep for casual sex, but she still suspected that if she could just kiss him, true love’s kiss would put an end to the whole disaster. She just needed to get close enough.

“Sadly I’ll have to decline,” he replied.

“You don’t trust me yet?”

“Perhaps you’re simply not the type of woman I tend to fancy?” he countered.

She smirked confidently, “You probably don’t remember my superpower. The one I had long before I discovered magic.”

He took his time looking her up and down and said, “Your _superpower_? Is that what they call…” he gestured loosely at her body, “…this…in your land.”

“I can always tell when people are lying.”

“Unfortunately I do not have the same ability. And as much as I admit that you’re good in fight, there’s still little proof that anything you’ve told me is true.”

“Look,” she said decisively, pointing past him.

He hesitated for a moment and then cautiously peeked over his shoulder. In the distance there was a narrow strait that separated the sea they were in from the ocean beyond. On either side of the strait were mountains that jutted powerfully into the clouds. The sun was setting perfectly in the space framed by the mountains.

“See…just like I told you,” she said. He nodded vaguely toward her but said nothing. “Hey,” she started insistently, waiting for him to lift his eyes. As soon as he did, she continued, “You _can_ trust me. Don’t give up on me, and I’ll prove it to you.”

He stepped closer, “Even if I eventually can and do trust you…how can you be certain you can trust the person who told you to take this quest? Maybe whoever gave you this information is leading us to a trap.”

“It’s possible. But I don’t have a choice. If I want to go home, this is my only option for now.”

“That doesn’t inspire much confidence.”

“I’ve run into situations that weren’t what I’d expected before. You know, you once told me that you had never seen me fail. You know why? Because, just like you, I’ve been through a hell of a lot, and I’m still here. And whatever happens, we adapt. We do whatever it takes. And together…we’re pretty close to unstoppable.”

A smile flickered at the corner of his mouth as her passion, conviction and powers of persuasion seemed to make an impression on him. “Alright, Swan. You’ve got your chance to prove yourself.”

Emma could almost hear Snow, reminding her of the power of hope and true love, things for which Snow seemed to have an endless reserve of faith. Emma smiled at Hook, and replied, “That’s all I ask.”

He moved behind the helm and nodded toward the passage before them. “Shall we continue on toward the setting sun, love?”

“I’m ready,” she answered. “Let’s do this.”


	7. Winning

Once Hook and Emma directed the Jolly Roger toward the passage to the open ocean, the winds became more favorable and the ship made quick progress. As they passed through the strait, they could see the beauty of the mountains that stood on either side. Made of rocks of so many natural tones, they almost seemed to form shimmering walls just barely wide enough to safely steer the ship through.

After they were on the other side, Emma found the satchel and the small orb that Odalee had given them to help them find their way. “What are we supposed to do with that?” Hook asked.

“Odalee said that once we’re on the other side, magic should make it work,” Emma answered.

“So you have to,” he waved his hand, “you have to…”

“I don’t know.”

Emma closed her eyes, holding the orb in her open palm in front of her. It seemed at first that the orb wasn’t going to work, but suddenly it began to flicker a few times until it glowed brightly and hovered above her hand. When she opened her eyes, the orb shot several feet higher above the deck, flying around for a few haphazard seconds before it suddenly stopped dead in its tracks. It pivoted slowly until it found the proper direction, and then dashed toward the front of the ship but slightly to starboard.

“I guess we follow it!” Emma said. “It’s a guide.”

Hook went to the helm and turned the ship slightly in the direction of the orb. When he did, the orb settled at the center of the bow and became a bit dimmer. “Is that good or bad?” Hook asked. When Emma didn’t answer, he turned the ship to port and said, “What if I do this?”

The orb grew bright again, dashing in the direction they were supposed to go. As soon as Hook followed, the orb dimmed and went to the center of the bow again, like a tiny headlight.

“Okay,” Emma said, “We follow it, literally.”

* * *

The next morning the air was clear and they could see for miles and miles, but Hook couldn’t find any evidence of land on the horizon, and he guessed there was probably quite a long journey ahead of them. As they traveled, Emma introduced him to some of the provisions they’d brought with them, and he was amazed at the wonderful taste of the food, even of the canned or dried items they had. “Wait ‘til we get back to Storybrooke,” she told him.

He answered with a silence that made her wonder if he would return to Storybrooke with her if he didn’t have his memories back yet. As much as she wanted him to come willingly, if all else failed she’d overpower him and drag him back, maybe Gold would know what to do.

Emma began to wonder if Hook would remember her if he actually got to know her again, so she decided to share a few personal details. Even if he didn’t remember her, hopefully some disclosure would build trust between them. It started off with simple things, stories about foods she liked and restaurants she enjoyed, but over the next few days, she shared more revealing details. The conversations about food led to explanations of the places where she’d lived and why she’d been so many places. Those stories led to a few tales of Neal or her parents, and many about Henry. Then she told him of her beginnings in the Enchanted Forest. Hook spoke occasionally, sharing his own experiences or asking a few questions, but mostly, he listened.

Hook wasn’t exactly different, but in quiet moments, she could see his melancholy, and she was certain it was because of his brother. There was a lingering sadness that became obvious during times when he thought he was alone. By the time she had met him, he had long since dealt with the loss and painful circumstances surrounding his brother’s demise. Or maybe the pain had just lessened with time. He seemed to find her stories a pleasant distraction from the thoughts in his head, though, because he appeared to be enjoying the tales.

More strangely, perhaps, was the fact that she didn’t mind sharing these bits of her past. Maybe it was because she’d already grown to trust the man. She already knew who he was, or at least who he would become, even if he didn’t recognize her. It could have been because she missed the way they were, and how he seemed to really know her. She missed the familiarity and love in his eyes, and the longer it was missing, the more she was willing to do anything to get it back. Regardless of the reasons, she told him more things over the next four days at sea than she’d ever told any one person. Most of the things weren’t deeply personal by most people’s standards, but Emma was a guarded, private person. And now this man had a greater volume of knowledge about her personal history than anyone else.

For those four days, the weather was perfect for sailing. They weren’t attacked by any other creatures, so the days could have been so idyllic and romantic, had he remembered her. By the time they finally spotted land, the safe distance he kept really began to frustrate her. She missed him even though he was right in front of her. She wanted to touch him, she wanted their connection. He’d offer the occasional innuendo, flirting in the way that Hook had flirted with almost any woman when she’d first met him, but it wasn’t the same. She could feel it. When land was in sight, the floating orb began to dance, moving around to demonstrate its excitement. “Looks like we’re on the right path,” Hook announced as he looked through his telescope.

He suddenly seemed more enthusiastic at the thought of adventure while he moved about the ship, readying the vessel. He announced, “Should reach land soon, Swan. Now, what manner of beast and terrain should I prepare for?”

“I have no idea,” Emma admitted.

“Well,” he said as he looked through his telescope again, “the land is quite verdant. At least it’s not desert or frozen terrain. Lack of water and extreme temperatures are difficult circumstances at best. You’ll need a sword, I suppose.”

“A weapon would be helpful. A sword is hardly my first choice, but I guess firearms are out of the question.”

“I’ll ready a cannon,” he offered with a grin, “And you can push it in front of you as we explore.”

“Smartass,” she answered.

With unexpected seriousness, he said, “Soon you’ll be back home.”

“I’m sure _we_ will,” she said as she studied his face.

He disappeared for a few minutes, resurfacing on deck with a couple of swords. He held them out and said, “We have some time to practice. Choose one.”

Emma tentatively picked one up and said, “This one?”

“Whichever you choose will be yours.”

“Thank you.”

“Ready yourself,” he said, unsheathing his sword and extending it in front of him. “Show me what you’re made of. No magic. That would be terribly bad form in an honest duel.”

She moved hesitantly, trying not to accidentally hurt him.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” he goaded.

“I don’t want to _actually_ hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” he laughed. “I can guarantee, you will not hurt me.”

“You think you’re that good?” she chuckled, knowing that she’d found ways to beat him before that he couldn’t even remember.

“I know I’m that good.” With a quick turn of his wrist, he managed to knock her blade right out of her hand. As it clamored to the ground, he added, “Come on, love. I’m looking for a good fight. Don’t disappoint me.”

Emma could hold her own with a sword. She’d had a decent amount of practice since coming to Storybrooke, but Hook was obviously trained. They moved about the deck of the Jolly Roger, while he gave her tips on proper defense and using terrain to her advantage. They practiced on deck for nearly an hour as they bantered back and forth.

She finally had herself in a good position, backing him down the steps and toward some crates that she thought he might not remember had been put there. With a few more steps, she had him backed into the crates, and she asked, proudly, “Do you surrender or do I make you walk the plank?”

His eyes practically danced across her face. He was happy, truly happy, for the first time since he’d lost his memory. Hook was having fun in this little game. “You’ve proven yourself a decent opponent, Swan,” he said with a tease in his voice. “Quite good form, for a novice.”

“Novice?” she scoffed. “This _novice_ has beaten you.”

He wrapped his hook around her wrist and spun them around, releasing her sword to the ground again before he backed her into the same spot where she thought she’d trapped him. She tried to push him back, to be resourceful even though her weapon had been taken, but he didn’t budge. He was heavier than he looked, a wall of muscle and smug confidence in front of her. “Alas, love…it is you who’s been bested. A final lesson: Don’t let down your defenses until you’re sure a fight is over.”

“Congratulations,” she said with a hint of defeat in her tone.

“Thank you,” he replied, but he didn’t back away.

His body was against her, warmly persistent. She missed him. She missed touching him, kissing him, fucking him, even being held by him as she slept, and he felt undeniably good pressing against her. “Are you going to make me walk the plank?” she whispered, her eyes darting down to his lips.

“It would be a shame to divest myself of such beautiful company. Plus we make quite a good team. Perhaps just take an oath of obedience to me, your captain.”

She giggled and shook her head. “I’m not really one for obedience.” She lifted her head, bringing her lips closer to his and watching how, this time, he didn’t back away. Her expression became serious, her lips barely moving as she asked, “I want to congratulate you on your victory.”

After a second’s pause, he said, “Seems like the right thing to do.”

He didn’t move at all, except his eyes as they fluttered shut just when she tilted her head and pressed her lips against his. This kiss lasted for only a few seconds before he pulled away slightly. His body stayed close but he paused, looking down at himself and saying, “It seems you really aren’t a siren trying to steal my soul with a kiss.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you, Killian. At least not intentionally,” she said with a tone that was much more serious than his.

“In that case…,” he said with a grin.

His sword dropped to the ground and he wrapped his arms around her, his lips descending upon hers. Instincts and desires took over, her hand grabbing the back of his head as their kiss deepened. So much passion unfurled between them as their tongues entwined and lips glided frenetically. She felt his hand slide down, his palm pressing into the small of her back as his fingers rested just at the swell of her ass but went no further. The hard press of his hook was against her just above his hand, and he pulled her against his body until she could feel his chest and hips against her.

She could finally feel _him_ , his body, his smell, the sensation of the touch that was uniquely his own. God, that passion was there, it had always simmered between them, two tortured souls who’d found solace, trust and understanding, and a ridiculous amount of basic physical attraction in an unlikely place. She wanted him so much that she was responding without even thinking. Their bodies were beginning to rock in a natural rhythm. She could feel his erection stirring as he started to harden against her more and more as she pressed her pelvis against his body. And her own reaction was undeniable, that surging throb of wetness, electricity and heat between her legs.

His hand moved to her hip, playing with the bottom hem of her shirt as his fingers started to wiggle under her clothing. He paused his kiss long enough to ask, “Would you care to take this congratulatory moment below deck?”

It was then that she really looked at his face. He was flushed, smiling genuinely at her even through the cloud of lust they were in. Everything felt so hopeful and sensual, and then she realized how different he looked. She remembered seeing that look on his face before. He looked just as he had back in the Enchanted Forest when she'd tried to distract the younger version of him in a tavern after they’d inadvertently disrupted the timeline. He even looked a little like he did when she'd first grabbed him to stop him from hitting the giant’s tripwire. But he didn’t look like the man she’d come to know since their very first kiss. That kiss that he'd confessed had brought his true feelings for her to light.

They’d made great progress from a few days earlier, when he’d lost his memory and didn’t trust her in the least. Now he liked her. He wanted her. He even trusted her. But he did not love her. His look was about desire and passion, and that spoke to their mutual attraction, but Emma realized that the kiss did not bring back his memory, and at that moment, the happiness and desire disappeared from her face and was replaced by a look of sadness and defeat.

“Apologies,” he said as he backed away, unaware of the true reason for her disappointment. He picked up his sword and walked to the bow of the ship to survey the area ahead.

“Killian, wait,” she said as she followed him. "I don’t want you to apologize. I think we—“

“Not a good time for us to become distracted,” he interrupted. “We should ready for landing.” She nodded, agreeing with the practicality but convinced that he was simply using the excuse to push her away. As she turned to walk away, he grabbed her arm and brought her back. Her heart thumped excitedly for a moment as he looked right into her eyes and said, “I will do everything within my power to make sure that you’re reunited with your boy. You have my word.”

In his eyes, his tone and words, she could see the truth: he was _almost_ hers again. She’d won his admiration. She’d gained his trust. She’d earned his respect. As close as that was to what she wanted, she still hadn’t won his heart. Ironically it wasn't until she'd lost his love that she truly understood the depths of her feelings for him. 


	8. Fallen

After the kiss and the subsequent increase in tension in the air, they spoke little, continuing steadily toward land and both throwing all of their concentration into the tasks of sailing and preparing for a journey on foot. The orb guided them to an inlet that was sufficient to get the Jolly Roger close to land.

The mountainous terrain was covered in thick vegetation that didn’t allow them to see very far. At least upon cursory inspection, there were not any signs of other human inhabitants. The orb zipped around them, flitting animatedly while it waited to guide Hook and Emma to their destination. He looked to Emma to hear her thoughts and she simply said, “Let's get moving,” as she walked past him and followed the guide.

They walked for hours, saying little as they continued steadily uphill. The first night, they slept in shifts by the fire to wait out the darkness. It was hard enough to see through the overgrown landscape in daylight, so continuing at night was far too dangerous. The night was lonely, quiet and cold, each of them keeping to themselves.

In the morning, they continued on their somber way. The incline was continuous, and often they had to slice their way through to make a path. It wasn’t an easy journey, but Emma didn’t dare attempt to use magic to get them to where they wanted to go since she didn’t really know the exactly location of their final destination and her magic still didn’t feel firmly under her control.

As afternoon turned into evening, it seemed Hook couldn’t take the silence anymore. He quickly stepped in front of Emma and said, “Does it really have to be like this?”

“Like what?” she asked with purposeful nonchalance.

“It was just a kiss. You were the one who suggested offering me your congratulations.”

Her eyes narrowed at him and his suggestion that what they had shared was _just a kiss_. She remembered saying the same thing of their first kiss, a kiss that had had a profound effect on him. “How do you think it should be?” she asked, tersely.

“You don’t want to talk anymore? Tell me your stories? Are you really that upset about one kiss? I’m not sure what else I could have done to upset you.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she answered sadly. “Come on. It’ll be dark soon, we better find a good place to stop for the night.”

Emma took a few steps past him, leaving him behind as she continued, hoping that the key to unlocking his memories was at the end of this journey because she couldn’t take the ache in her chest any longer. She heard gravel peppering the ground next to her, and the next second, a rough push from behind sent her tumbling forward to the ground.

Turning around quickly, she saw Hook bearing the blow from a boulder that had fallen from the hill above them. She shouted his name as she ran to him, worrying when she saw more pebbles falling that more large rocks could follow. Hook was on the ground, clutching his side. Emma grabbed him under his arms and pulled him toward the safety of a shallow cave that could provide enough shelter. “Oh my god, Hook,” she said as she looked him over. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he said dismissively. When he tried to sit up to demonstrate that he was well enough to continue, he groaned and fell back to the ground.

“You don’t look fine.”

“I just need a moment,” he argued.

She stood, shaking her head and saying, “It’s getting dark. Since this mountain seems to be crumbling, I don’t think we should try to continue. I’ll find some wood for a fire. Be right back.”

“I’ll help you.”

Smiling at him, she said, “You said you need a moment. Take it. I’ll only be a minute.”

She returned a few minutes later, finding plenty of wood nearby to start a fire. Hook had managed to pull himself up to lean against the wall, but he couldn’t hide the pain he felt.

Emma started a fire at the edge of the outcropping they were beneath, carefully looking above them to make sure the rock over them was stable. This shelter would definitely do for the night. Once she felt they were ready for nightfall, she held out her hand and waited for the orb. It hovered for a moment before it settled in her palm, and she put it safely in Hook’s satchel until morning. They couldn’t afford to lose their guide. Emma wasn’t sure what they were going to do the next morning, because she didn’t think a few hours of rest would be enough to heal Hook’s wounds.

“You pushed me out of the way,” she observed.

His eyes darted toward her for a moment. “Aye.”

“You barely know me, but you’re willing to throw yourself in the path of a falling boulder?” she questioned.

“Was the right thing to do,” he answered simply.

“How badly are you hurt?”

“A few hours of rest and I’ll be ready to go, lass.”

She tilted her head with disbelief, “Ya think? Let me see.”

She reached for the clasps on his vest as he argued, with a forced smile, “It’ll take more than a few rocks to stop me.”

“Would you stop trying to pretend you’re invincible!” she griped. “Let me see.”

He didn’t even have time to respond before her fingers slid over the clasps that held his vest closed, easily opening each one. She opened his shirt next, and he was either too tired to argue or he already understood the futility of trying to dissuade Emma Swan from something once she’d set her mind to it.

“I appreciate your kindness,” he explained, “but I’m feeling much better. I’ve also made a promise to see that you get home to your son. A promise I intend to keep.”

She smirked challengingly, “Are you feeling shy?”

“I was trying to save you the torment of trying to resist me,” he teased. “If you want to tempt fate…”

Emma shot him an incredulous look out of the corner of her eye at his response because she was pretty sure he was trying to deflect her concern so she wouldn’t realize how much pain he was in. “Oh please. I think I can handle it,” she wryly replied.

He settled back, leaning gingerly against the rock behind him and pointing at his shirt. “Help yourself, love,” he said with a purposeful leer.

She was preparing a comeback when she pulled his shirt open far enough to see his entire side covered in the purplish red color of an emerging bruise. She ran her hand softly over his ribs and watched him cringe at even that scant amount of pressure. No longer in the mood for banter, she gasped, “Oh my god, Killian. They’re broken.”

“Just a bruise,” he argued as he tried to pull his shirt closed and winced again.

“We’ve got to get you back to your ship.”

“And do what? Wait until it heals and come back again?” he scoffed.

“I’ll take you back to your ship, and I’ll continue this trip on my own.”

“No,” he answered immediately. “We might nearly be there already. And if I hadn’t been along, that rock would have hit you, likely killing you. I know you don’t think you need an ally, but you do.”

“I’m not sure what else to do,” she started, and then she had an idea. “Maybe there’s something else.”

“What?”

“Magic.”

“You can heal wounds?”

“I don’t know. I’ve seen it done. Not be me but… Can I try? Do you trust me enough?”

His eyes searched her face before he bobbed his head. She knelt next to his outstretched legs, sitting back on her feet and closing her eyes as she focused. Her hands lifted slowly toward his ribs, her fingers almost touching his skin. With a deep breath she focused her energy into him, but nothing happened. Her face finally wrinkled as she gave up, feeling her failure. “I’m sorry,” she groaned. “I’ll check our supplies again. Maybe Odalee gave us something that will help with the pain.”

She grabbed the satchel and started looking through it, finding a dark purple potion bottle that she held up in the light cast off from the fire. Odalee had given Emma that vial before they’d left, a solution that was supposed to serve as birth control, and Emma felt tears threatening. She stared at the bottle for a few moments as she remembered how good things had been between her and Hook, and pondering how bad things had gotten since. If the kiss hadn’t worked, she wasn’t sure how to make this right. It was hard to keep hope.

“What is it?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“It’s nothing,” she answered. Turning her focus back to him, she said, “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”

He didn’t answer. He just stared, looking for answers that weren’t obvious to him. Reaching up, Hook brushed away the only tear that rolled down her face.

Emma cleared her throat and said, “That rock could have killed you. Or me.”

“But it didn’t,” he answered. “Neither of us is going to perish from a _rock_. You’ll succeed. There’s no need to worry.”

“It’s not that,” she replied. “You couldn’t understand.”

“I’m an excellent listener,” he said. When she didn’t answer, he added, lightly, “I’m in some ways a captive audience. I can’t move fast enough to get away even if I wanted to.”

She laughed for second, but it only accentuated her tears. “I thought if I could just kiss you…I thought…I thought it would bring back your memories.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I thought it was...,” she rolled her eyes at her own idea, “I thought it was true love’s kiss. And that can break any curse. And clearly it wasn’t because it didn’t work.”

“Well, you’ve told me that I’ve professed my love for you, but when I inquired about any reciprocation on your part, you told me ‘it’s complicated.’ I’m not an expert in curses or love…but I don’t think an _it’s complicated kiss_ will break any curse. So don’t beat yourself up.”

“I just wish I would have told you…but it’s too late.”

“What’s too late?”

“I have feelings for you, Killian,” she said, almost angrily. “And I could have told you that so many times. But now you barely know me. Every time you look at me, it’s you, but it’s not _you_. And I can’t tell you I love you and have you stare back at me like it doesn’t matter. I miss it. I miss you. I miss the way you looked at me. I miss the way you couldn’t hide the fact that you loved me. Everyone could see it. I miss the pirate who pined for me. And I screwed up. I screwed up bad. And now…now that I truly know that I _love_ you…I don’t know if I’ll ever get you back.”

She felt him touch her face, the backs of his fingers touching her cheek comfortingly. His eyes were filled with compassion. Obviously touched by her sadness, he sat up, flinching a bit as he moved. He came closer and placed one gentle kiss against her cheek right next to her lips. Her eyes closed as she felt him next to her, appreciating his empathy but still acutely aware of the differences between compassion and love, and then she noticed a flash of white. For a moment she was hopeful that what she had seen was the breaking of a curse, but then she felt him jerk away suddenly as a wave of something that felt like energy passed over him.

His whole body tensed for a moment, every muscle growing rigid. At first she panicked, worrying that something terrible was happening to him, but then she saw that same blue glow that had stolen his memory. As his body was released from the grip of light, he turned toward her and she could see it, instantly. She searched hopefully for some sign that he was coming back to her and not slipping further away, and there it was. The look in his eyes. Familiarity. Affection. Love.

“Killian?” she asked, cautiously buoyant.

“Emma,” he nodded. “I’m sorry, love, but just to clarify. Did you just—“

“I love you,” she interrupted with absolute conviction before anything else could possibly happen. “I’ve loved you for a while. I don’t know if I didn’t realize it or I was too scared to accept it, but I do.”

He smiled and tried to sit up to quickly embrace her. He was slowed by the sharp stab of pain at his side, but not deterred, because nothing could have stopped him from kissing her. “I love you,” he responded tenderly.

“You remember.”

“I remember.”

“When you kissed me your memories came back. _You_ broke the curse,” she stated. “But if you broke it, was the curse really on you or was it on me?”

“I don’t care who broke the bloody curse so long as you truly feel the way you say you do.”

“I can’t lie to a curse,” she said before he took her face in his hand and kissed her.

The passion had returned to his touch, that electric attraction that had always existed between them, accompanied by the love that had grown into a powerful force that changed everything. She just wanted to get closer to him, as close as she could without hurting him. She straddled his lap, holding her weight on her knees and trying not to lean too heavily against his torso. She could hear the way his breath stuttered occasionally as the pain broke through, but the pain wasn’t enough to stop him from touching her. It didn’t feel like anything was powerful enough to pull them apart.

He tightened his arms around her, his hand moving under her shirt and carefully sliding up the soft skin that covered her back. As she felt him wince again, a tremendous sense of guilt hit her like a wave. “I wish I could help you. We should stop,” she mumbled between kisses. “I’m hurting you.”

“Will hurt more if you stop,” he said with a smile. He watched her face as his fingertips skated over her spine until they reached her bra. He waited for a reaction while he pinched the clasp to open it. His palm smoothed around her ribs to the front, as he wrapped his hand around her side. He moved upward until his thumb rested just below her breast. He nipped softly at her bottom lip. “Of course I’ll stop, if that’s what you want.”

She shook her head, grinning at him. His desire for her was intoxicating, and finally admitting her feelings had been freeing in a way she’d never imagined. She felt like a huge weight had been lifted and that barriers that had existed between them that she didn’t even notice before were suddenly gone.

“I don’t want you to stop,” she said, still grinning at him, “but at least let me help out a little.”

She pulled her tank top over her head, and allowed her bra to fall down from her shoulders since he’d already unclasped it. He gazed over her body with the utmost admiration, watching the warm glow from the fire paint her skin. His attention was almost too intense, so she started to push his coat, vest and shirt off all at once. The expanse of his bruising made her pang of guilt reemerge.

She gently ran her hand over his ribs, and, sensing her worry, he said, “You have just told me you love me. Let’s not ruin the moment by worrying about anything else.”

His words were wonderful, but her worry remained. She felt a growing anger that they’d been whisked off against their wills. She was furious and worried that this quest could have killed him. Her eyes closed involuntarily as her emotions churned within her, and then she felt an unstoppable outpouring of energy flow from her body. Emma couldn’t even open her eyes or control the flow of energy once it had begun, but once it stopped, she cautiously looked at Hook.

His hand was moving over the formerly bruised area at his side before he looked up at her. “That’s amazing, Swan.”

“It’s better?” she asked, somewhat amazed herself as she poked a few of his ribs while she watched for a reaction.

“Aye. I think you might be more powerful than my old friend the Crocodile.”

“Not even close,” she demurred, but he could see she was considering the possibility that there might be some truth in his words.

“Might be wise to keep the extent of your abilities under wraps for a bit. There seem to be enough targets on your back without inviting any more attention.”

“You’re probably right.” She slid forward in his lap, pressing their bodies together now that she didn’t need to worry about his ribs. “So…you just happen to fall in love with the one person you think might be more powerful than your greatest enemy?” she teased. “Interesting coincidence.”

He smirked and retorted, “With a body like this, you’re worried that I want you for your _magic_?”

In spite of jokes and deflection, the depth of the passion between them swelled over. It wasn’t the words that she’d missed, it was the way their love made him. The looks, the actions that accompanied those feelings, made it real. And there was no denying their feelings.

She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and mumbled, “You saved my life, I fixed your ribs…I think we owe each other some gratitude. Don’t you?”

With a salacious spark in his eye, he nodded his head, “Indeed we do.” The moment seemed overwhelmed with erotic energy, but just for a moment, he ran his thumb over her lips, and it reminded her that the one thing that could trump his desire for her would always be his love.

He moved away from the rock that he’d been leaning against, lifting while she remained perched on his lap and appreciating the lack of pain in his body. He leaned back until he was lying down, holding her against him. He brushed kisses against her neck and collarbone while he unbuttoned her jeans and pushed them down as best he could with her on top of him. Concentration was difficult because Emma had already unlaced his pants and shoved her hand in without bothering to take them off.

Her touch felt so good, but he needed her to slow down, so he grabbed her hands with his hand and hook, and pulled them over his head against the ground. With their hands in that position, she was fully lying on him and their bodies undulated subtly while their mouths met again. He lifted his knee so he could use his foot to kick away the jeans that stubbornly clung to her body, and she finally started wriggling out of them. His erection was jutting out of his pants, pressing against her sex with only her thin panties keeping them apart, but the warmth of their bodies almost completely pressed together was nothing short of luxuriously enticing.

He finally let go somewhat unwillingly, but he ached for her, and he could see the longing in her eyes as well. She lifted up, quickly rolling her underwear down her legs before she started yanking at his leather pants so they wouldn’t get in the way. He wanted to roll her under him and take her for his own, but they had no blanket, and the rocky dirt beneath him wasn’t a bed he felt was worthy of her bare skin.

Emma paused suddenly and stepped away, and Hook thought he might lose his mind with desire. Walking over to the satchel, she grabbed the potion bottle she’d gotten from Odalee and quickly swallowed the contents before she came back to him. She didn’t waste any time stepping over him and settling down on his thighs. “Now we won’t have to be so careful,” she said, and he nodded as he realized it was the potion Odalee had given Emma to prevent pregnancy.

He was tired of waiting, so he reached between her legs and slid a finger through her slick folds. He watched while her eyes closed and her lips parted slightly with desire. He was mesmerized by her, enthralled by her, hoping to bring her so much pleasure simply because he loved making her feel good. She leaned forward, bracing her hands on his stomach near his hips as she lifted a little from his body and allowed the waves of erotic sensation to build through her. He was exploring her, swirling around her clit, sliding his finger occasionally into the depths of her body. He was learning her body and enjoying that he was the man she’d allowed into her life and her heart.

Her eyes fluttered open for just a second, and she saw the way he was looking at her, the way she’d missed so much, and she couldn’t resist touching him. Wrapping her fingers around him, she started to slowly caress his sex, stroking him just to watch the reactions on his face as well. He couldn’t take that, not for long, not when her body was beckoning for him. He moved her, lifting her up and positioning himself at her entrance. He paused like he was waiting for some sign that she was fully consenting.

The only consent that she offered was the subtle shift in her hips that allowed him in. Then she slowly lowered her body down until he was fully nestled inside her. As they merged, their voices mingled through a shared sigh and gasp. There had been so much pressure on them, so much tension, so much sadness, and they finally had a reprieve. Even though Hook had his memories back, he’d spent the last few days reliving the pain of losing his brother. Emma had spent the last few days experiencing the raw loss of having her love ripped away from her. The power of their love couldn’t be so easily vanquished. Their love seemed indefatigable, relentless and invincible. They weren’t sharing a passing dalliance, they were part of something that was probably bigger than either of them really understood. Theirs might just be a tale for the ages.

Of course they weren’t explicitly thinking about those things. They weren’t considering the weight and privilege of true love or what their union might mean, they simply felt the heightened sensations of people who were not only attracted, but also deeply in love, perhaps destined.

They started to move together, their eyes locked as their bodies intrinsically sought a rhythm. It was slow at first as they separated and melded again while they enjoyed a few last seconds of delayed gratification, appreciating what they had. Then their resistances snapped like a dry twig. He grabbed onto her so tightly, losing himself in her both literally and metaphorically. In the same spirit, she accepted him, opened herself to him in every way, and they fucked each other with the desperate passion of separated lovers who’d come home.

He lifted his hips powerfully from the ground, relentlessly seeking her depths as she writhed over him. Their pace was so perfectly set, so coordinated, and then as their peaks neared, they lost the perfection of their dance to desires that simply took over and they lunged toward release, both committed to bringing the other to the fullest height of pleasure and desperately clinging to their own restraint to ensure that happened. As her fingers dug into his side and shoulder, she screamed his name. She didn’t whisper, gasp or groan, she _screamed_ his name, shouting at first, “ _Hook_ ,” the name she’d first really known him by, in a way that shot a pang of lust through his body. She was unraveling, coming apart before him as her orgasm became unavoidable, and then, still with that uncontrolled voice of bliss added, “God, Killian,” as he finally reached the flashing point of pleasure and used the very last of his bodily control to plunge into her a few more times before his power was entirely swept away from him.

Afterwards, he remained on the ground, rocky soil beneath him. She was nearly motionless on top of him as the two were one sweaty, breathless pile of contented relaxation. They hovered on the edge of sleep for as long as possible before he got up, brushed bits of gravel and debris from his back, and helped her to her feet. He laid his long coat on the ground and gestured for her to rest there while he got dressed. “I’ll keep first watch, love,” he offered as he leaned against the edge of the cave.

She started to consider arguing, but the ache in her chest was finally gone, and it felt wonderful. She had him back and she felt completely at home on the floor of that cave. She put on most of her clothes except her shoes and socks so she wouldn’t be naked if they were ambushed during the night.

Hook watched Emma sleep with his coat for a bed. She looked stunning. She was strong, she’d always been strong, but as she slept, he saw that hint of vulnerability that made her so much more beautiful. He’d been vulnerable for her, shown her his heart and faced rejection. He knew how difficult it was to let his guard down. He felt honored to be trusted by someone who trusted so few. After all, she’d confessed her love, it had finally happened, but in her attempt to win him back, she’d told him so many tales of her life that he’d never known before. He was worth that to her. Somehow he, a pirate, a villain, a man once dedicated to revenge, had become the trusted lover of a princess who was now sleeping barefoot on his coat. A princess who’d fought for his trust and affection.

 


	9. Reputation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks again to all of you who have given this story a try. I really appreciate all of your comments and the interest you’ve shown! I know I’m rusty, so thanks for your patience.

Emma took the second night watch, waking Hook as soon as the sun cast enough light to pierce the thick green umbrella of plant life overhead. He could feel the difference in her as soon as he opened his eyes and saw her gazing down at him. “Even heroes get days off, don’t they?” he asked while he slipped his fingers under her shirt.

"On occasion," she answered with a grin, removing his fingers before she stood, "but not today."

Standing up, he stood in front of her with only an inch separating them and asked, “Anything I can do to persuade you that a respite is in order?”

Placing her palm against his chest, she tapped him with her finger before she answered, flirtatiously, “There are probably tons of things you could do to persuade me. I would love to spend the day here with you…but…”

“I understand, Swan,” he said as he picked up his coat, slipping his hook through the leather sleeve carefully before he put it the rest of the way on. “Can’t blame a man for trying.”

“It’s just…Henry and this girl who’s trapped and,” she started to explain regretfully.

“I knew you were a mother and a saviour before I started courting you,” he said with a grin. “This is exactly what I’d expect from you. Come on, let’s carry on.”

They started down the path and Emma giggled, “ _Courting_ me? Really?”

“Aye. Isn’t that what I’m doing?”

“I don’t know. It just sounds …weird to use that particular word.”

“You’re the only woman I’ve ever really courted. Which is particularly impressive given my age and the number of ladies who’ve pleaded for my attention.”

“You don’t really expect me to believe that I’m your first?” she snickered.

“Knowing women and courting them are two very different concepts.”

“What about Milah? I know you loved her.”

Hook’s head bowed slightly in remembrance before he answered, “Indeed I did. But…that wasn’t really much of a courting situation. She really wanted to run away from her life. She didn’t exactly hide that. I provided that possibility in the form of a nearly irresistible man, but I didn’t have to win her favor. She’d always regretted leaving Baelfire, but I didn’t have a family’s approval to seek. I was exactly what she’d been looking for. Some of the very same things that I suspect Milah liked about me, you and your family do not.”

“What is it that you think I don’t like about you?”

“I’m not really the hero type. Your father has certainly made it clear that he doesn’t find me a worthy man for his only daughter.”

“Give him time. I think he trusts you.”

Hook shot her a disbelieving look out of the corner of his eye and said, “Just because he’s willing to allow me to fight by his side doesn’t mean he thinks I’m a good match for his daughter.”

Emma turned and stepped in front of Hook, stopping him in his tracks. “But it’s not his decision. I’m a grown woman, I’ve been making my own decisions for pretty much my entire life.”

“But, should you wish to continue with this…things would be more difficult should your family not approve. Winter solstice celebration might be rather awkward.”

She smiled and shook her head, “Sometimes I forget that we’re _literally_ from completely different worlds.”

“You don’t celebrate the winter solstice?” he scoffed with disappointment.

“We have Christmas. There’s food, gifts, family. For most of my life it was a very lonely holiday. I hated it growing up.”

“What about the lad? How do you think he’ll take to sharing his mother’s time with _me_?”

“Henry likes you. He loves Regina, and you know her reputation. He doesn’t let labels define people. And even if he still did see you in that light… he really wants me to be happy.”

Hook took two swaggering steps closer, and, with that look of smug flirtation that she was getting so used to seeing, he said, “Are you implying that, perhaps, I might be able to bring you happiness?”

She fought the grin that was emerging on her face, attempting to remain at least a little coy about the whole situation. “I don’t know,” she answered, reducing the inch of space between them by half. “What I do know…is that I really want to see you try.”

“I’ll begin immediately,” he mumbled before his mouth covered hers.

In seconds, they weren’t just kissing, they were making out, hands grasping at clothing, tongues flicking, lips nipping as the depths of their mutual desire became evident as soon as they made contact. The slightest spark between them seemed to ignite a bonfire. She was only vaguely cognizant of the way he lifted her and she wrapped her legs high around his waist as soon as her feet were off the ground. They weren't thinking, they were acting on impulse and drive. She was pinned between his body and a tree with bark that scratched her through her shirt but didn’t bother her in the least. Those peripheral sensations couldn’t distract her from the things she felt with and for this man.

Her hands were everywhere, performing necessary actions to get enough of their bodies exposed as quickly as possible to ease the desperation that was building. She had to touch him, there was no other option. Even with that limited contact, both of them were ready. After all, she’d been thinking about this while she had watched him sleep. She’d been fantasizing about this since the first time it had happened…even longer. As her hand slid into his clothes, he was already hard, and her fingers encircled him, giving him a few rough pumps with her fist before she decided that she simply wouldn’t wait any longer.

There was a moment’s hesitation when she felt her bare ass bump against the tree, and she realized that it wasn’t Hook who was roughly ridding her of her jeans…she was the one clawing her way out of them. As soon as one foot was free, she lifted her legs back around his waist and locked her feet, tightening her hold around him and bringing him closer while her jeans still dangled from her other leg.

She could feel him shake with anticipation as his hand moved between them and he guided himself into her hot core. His hand and hook hold her up, and she watched as he bit his lip while he summoned his control. He patiently pulled out of her almost entirely, pushing sensually back into her body as he watched the expression on her face as she became used to him. She loved his lust for her, the feeling of being desired so entirely by someone who was grasping for control as he was coming unhinged.

His eyes closed, sweat dotting his forehead as he let the sensations of her body fill his senses. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers sliding up the back of his head and tugging at his hair to get his attention. “Just fuck me,” she rasped, her lips brushing his ear. “Please.”

He roughly kissed her for one second before he tightened his grip and plunged back into her again. She held tightly onto his shoulders. The encounter was primal, two people frantically screwing like they weren’t made to do anything else. His body pressed against her just right because of their position, and the desire between them was an intoxicating aphrodisiac, so it was only a few minutes before they were crying out in release together.

His nose was pressed against her neck as he leaned against her and the tree. Her breath hadn’t even returned to normal when she panted, “What the hell was that?”

He lifted his head, automatically turning to look for danger in response to her question.

“No,” she clarified with a smile, “I meant _this._ What just happened?”

“Do I really have to explain it to you?” he teased, rocking his hips forward again and watching her react to the zing of an orgasmic aftershock while his body pressed between her legs.

She sighed out with satisfaction and softly answered, “I think we should be able to control ourselves for a few hours.”

“I may have been the one to kiss you first this time, but I’m pretty sure you were the only who escalated it to something more _intimate_ ,” he said as he raised an eyebrow.

She scowled to try to deny it, but she couldn’t fight the playfulness in her eyes or the flush that spread across her cheeks.

“That’s what I thought,” he replied. He set her down on the ground and added, “Don’t beat yourself up, love. As I’m sure I’ve mentioned, I’m terribly hard to resist.”

“Let’s just agree to have no more _distractions_ until we stop for the night or we’ll never get home. Alright?”

* * *

The pair continued their journey together, slashing through thick jungle and fighting the fatigue that threatened. The late afternoon air was so humid and hot that a haze seemed to spread up from the ground as the moisture evaporated into steam around them. Emma had sort of expected to have to rebuff repeated advances from Hook so they could stay on task, and she was surprised and a little disappointed that he seemed perfectly able to stay focused on their mission.

He certainly didn’t ignore her. She could see his admiring glances and noticed his consistently considerate behavior. In the past she would have tried to prove that she didn’t need his consideration or assistance, but it was obvious that his actions weren’t condescending, he was just being the gentleman, and the little shows of respect did a lot to demonstrate how he felt about her. The problem was that she could barely keep her hands off of him. With each polite gesture or admiring glance he’d offer, the urge to forget their agreement and spend the day naked in each other’s arms rose with greater urgency. And this type of control had usually come so easily for her. She was supposed to be the one who was good at maintaining boundaries and keeping a distance.

She wasn’t even sure what was going on. They’d always had tension and desire, but she’d easily retained some separation in the past. Maybe it was the primitiveness of their surroundings, or the excitement of having found him again after she’d lost him, or maybe it was finally knowing that they shared the same types of feelings about each other, but she’d never felt a need for a man like this. His cocky swagger and self-assured grin made her wonder if he was all too aware of the thoughts in her head.

Just as the heat and sticky air almost became too much, the skies opened and emptied the saturated clouds down onto them in rapid, fat drops that sliced through the vegetation and slapped on the adventurers and ground alike. Hook had streaks that ran like dark tears down his face as the rain mixed with the pigment around his eyes. This was one of the few times he regretted having such heavy, cumbersome clothing. Emma’s clothes were soaked through, drenched within seconds after the storm had begun, and each strand of her hair that had come loose from her pony tail was becoming plastered to her face.

There was little choice but to continue since there weren’t any places that provided adequate cover and seemed safe enough to stop. Their shoulders and arms were aching from cutting their way through the overgrowth, and just as it seemed like she couldn’t possibly hold the sword any longer, her blade hit something hard. As they peered through the rain and greenery, they found a thick stone obstruction. Following it to the edge, they realized they’d come to a fence that surrounded a rudimentary stone and wood building.

They hadn’t seen any other evidence of human inhabitants until that point. The orb dashed in front of them and went straight through a small open space in the heavy wooden door. Hook and Emma cautiously followed, always mindful of the possibility of a trap or some unfriendly circumstance ahead. Emma knocked politely. A man with eyes so dark they were nearly black opened the door. He was solidly built, with large worn hands and leathery skin that told the tale of a man who had worked hard under brutal conditions. Even though there was a certain weariness about him, his voice was not unfriendly when he asked with a heavy accent that sounded a lot like Odalee’s, “What can I do for ya?”

Emma pointed at the orb that had settled in one small child’s open hand, “We seem to have lost something.”

The man stepped back and gestured for them to enter. Once they were inside, they saw a family eating a modest meal at an even more modest table at the far side of the room. “Pardon the intrusion,” Hook said, “but we’re traveling through here and stumbled upon your home.”

The entire family examined the intruders until one of the children looked at Hook and whispered, “Mama…look.”

Realizing what had caught the child’s attention, Hook pointed vaguely at his prosthetic and said, “There’s no need to worry. I assure you, we mean you no harm. I’m—“

“Please,” the patriarch of the family said, standing to free up his chair before he shooed his son from his seat too. “Take a seat, sir. May we offer you some food or wine?”

Hook looked baffled, whispering to Emma, “Perhaps I’ve threatened them before.”

The lady of the house stood, grabbing two earthen bowls and ladling a thick soup into each of them. She also seemed kind but long overworked and tired. “We’re honored to have you here. Please come in and allow us to extend some hospitality," she insisted.

Hook and Emma took seats, not wanting to seem rude and hoping to find out some answers about exactly where they were. “Thank you,” Emma said, watching as the three children all stared wide-eyed at Hook’s hook. They didn’t look frightened or even confused. They looked amazed.

“Don’t stare,” the mother warned, “you’re making our guests feel uncomfortable.”

Hook answered, “I’m Killian Jones. We’ve been sent here on a quest, but we’re a bit lost.”

The mother and father of the family exchanged a look before the woman asked Emma, “If you don’t mind me asking, miss…I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Emma,” she answered. “Killian and I are traveling together.” One of the children dropped a spoon as the whole family gaped at the visitors. Noticing the family’s obviously strange behavior, Emma asked, “Have we met before?”

“No,” the woman of the house said, handing Hook and Emma chunks of bread to eat with their soup.

The smallest child, a toddler, went right up to Hook and handed him the orb. “Thank you,” Hook said as he tucked it back in his satchel.

The child touched the hook with the tip of her fingers. “It’s shiny,” the tiny voice said as she smiled up at him.

“Edeline,” the father reprimanded before he pulled her away and offered his apologies.

If Hook had a reputation here, it didn’t seem to be the reputation of a cutthroat pirate. The children weren’t even afraid of his prosthetic, one that would be frightening to most small children. “May I see it, Captain, Sir?” the oldest boy asked.

"Who told you I'm a captain?" Hook asked.

“Children, time for bed,” the mother ordered.

The older of the two daughters complained. “It’s not even dark yet.”

The mother directed the children into the next room and Hook and Emma could clearly hear the older daughter say, “They’re finally here…in _our_ house…and you’re gonna make us go to bed?”

“Am I missing something, mate?” Hook asked the family patriarch.

“Julien,” the man said, introducing himself. “That was my wife, Vala.”

“Were you expecting us?” Emma asked.

“We don’t often expect visitors, milady,” Vala said as she returned without her children.

“Just call me Emma,” Emma answered. She persistently asked, "Is there anything you need to tell us?"

“Nothing comes to mind. But please, make yourselves at home,” the hostess said.

Realizing they weren’t going to get any direct answers, Hook and Emma took a few minutes to eat and make small talk. When Julien addressed Emma as ‘milady’ again with a deep sense of reverence, she became certain something was going on.

Emma said, “I think you have me confused with someone else. We aren’t from around here. Is there anything you can tell us about this place?”

“We’re simple folk,” Julien answered. “There are some people in the next town who can answer your questions. It's less than an hour's walk from here.”

“Surely you know where you live?” Hook persisted.

The couple looked at each other but said nothing. Deciding there was nothing more to learn, Emma placed her hands on her lap and stared confidently at her hosts, “I get the impression that there’s something you aren’t telling us? If you do know me…you know that I can tell when people are lying.”

Vala smiled innocently, “I’m not sure what you mean. Can I get you anything else? Another drink? Some more to eat?”

Emma shook head and answered, “Thank you so much. We should probably be going.”

“You’re welcome stay for the night. It’s hardly a castle, but it’s warm and it’s dry,” Julien offered.

Emma and Hook said their goodbyes to the couple before they left to continue their journey. The rain had stopped, but it was now dark and cold as they left the warmth of the small home behind them. Turning back one last time, Emma and Hook saw the family they’d just left watching them with hopeful smiles. Vala and Julien stood in the door, waving fondly, and the children peered out the windows from the back of the house.

As soon as she was sure they were out of earshot, Emma said, “That was weird. Did you think that was weird?”

“Aye,” Hook answered solemnly, retrieving the orb from his satchel and watching as it led the way.

“It was like…”

“They'd heard of us,” he finished.

“Even more than that though,” she continued. “It was like they were relieved to see us.”

Hook hypothesized, “Perhaps they have a copy of the book your boy has. Maybe they recognized you from there and they’re hoping you’ll do something to fix their current situation.”

“But _you_ were the one they recognized first,” Emma mentioned. “Like they knew who you were as soon as they saw your hook. The picture of Prince Charles didn’t have a hook in our story, and they certainly didn’t seem to think you were a villain from any other stories. Trust me, if we were back in Boston and we introduced a couple of kids to Captain Hook…they’d be terrified. These kids looked up to you, admired you. We need to get to the next town and see if anyone there knows us. Once we figure out how they know us and exactly who they think we are, it might give us a better idea of what we’re up against.”


	10. Quite the Team

Emma and Hook continued to follow the orb, hoping that it would take them to the same town they’d been told about by the family they’d visited. Since it was only an hour away, they wanted to continue on. At least they’d finally found a path. It was hardly a road, but it was well traveled enough that they didn’t have to cut through vines and plants to continue. They progressed steadily uphill, and noticed the vegetation was thinning. Nearly an hour into the trip, they could finally look up and clearly see the stars above. It seemed they were nearing the top of the mountain. Finally, they looked ahead and saw a few houses in the distance.

The orb dashed excitedly again, and it seemed they were near their destination. As they rounded the corner, they could see a beautiful but imposing castle looming above the smaller homes at its feet. Emma grabbed Hook’s arm and said, “Wait. We need a plan.”

“You think the girl’s in that castle?” he asked as he took his telescope and tried to survey the terrain as best he could in the dark.

“I don’t know. If she is, we don’t know who we’re facing. There’s no way to know if this is just a stop on the way or if this is our destination.” Just as she said that, the orb flew at them, and then suddenly the light in it dimmed and it fell to the ground like a heavy, lifeless rock. Emma stooped down to pick it up and said, “I guess we have our answer. If our guide is no longer guiding…this must be the place.”

“I think you’re right that a plan is in order. Let’s find a spot to make camp for the night so we’re ready for whatever fight lies ahead.”

The loud snap of a twig caught their attention. They turned toward the noise, finding a group of townspeople, soldiers, and Julien surrounding them. Emma warned, “Get back,” as her magic instinctively reacted and a burst like a circle of wind pushed the people back a few steps.

“You have nothing to fear,” Julien said, moving closer with his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, I rushed ahead to tell the others you were coming.”

A woman came forward, walking gracefully to them, “Please, allow us to explain. We’ve been awaiting your arrival. We mean you no harm. We all just wanted to see if it could really be you. Are you Killian Jones and Emma Swan?”

Hook swallowed once, wondering about the implications that such an admission might carry before he nodded, “We are.”

"Are you, perhaps, traveling with your children? Are they somewhere safe?"

Emma suspiciously answered, "My son is at home. I hope he's safe. I haven't been able to check on him since we've arrived. Why?"

"Is your son your only child?" the woman inquired.

“Yes. Wait...Why are you so interested in us?” Emma asked.

The woman replied, “There was a prophecy. The two of you were instrumental in breaking a curse that has split our homeland in two. We’ve been separated from our loved ones, ripped apart from our families.”

“What sort of prophecy?” Emma questioned.

“If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you.”

“Who are you?” Hook asked.

“My name is Raina. I can explain the prophecy better if you’ll accompany me to the castle.”

For a moment, Emma considered other options, looking down at the orb to see any signs of guidance but finding it still lightless and unmoving in her hand. She looked at Hook who subtly nodded and Emma answered, “Show us.”

They followed the woman toward the castle in the distance with a group of townspeople trailing behind them. The castle was quieter than either had expected, the open rooms echoing impersonally. They walked toward the back of the great entry room to a door carefully guarded by four vigilant soldiers. One of the soldiers, a young man who’d likely only just reached adulthood, broke protocol when he said, “Captain Jones? Sir?”

The other soldiers all looked for a moment as Hook answered, hesitantly, “Aye.”

It had been so long since he’d been known as Captain _Jones_. He’d been _Hook_ for centuries, a name that had truly become him. It was an identity, a rebranding of a man who had once been so different. He’d only really begun using his given name again on occasion. Emma was one of the only people to call him Killian since he’d been reborn as Captain Hook. He was surprised how much he’d liked it when she'd occasionally started calling him that. He was almost surprised she’d remembered his true name. It was humanizing as he felt less like a villain and more like a man. Still the name “Captain Jones” hadn’t been used since his early days on the Jolly Roger when he’d first become a pirate, before Milah and Rumpelstiltskin and an era spent in Neverland.

“It’s an honor, Captain,” the young soldier replied as the others nodded as well before they all stood properly and defended their position again.

Raina ordered, “Open the doors,” and the soldiers stepped to the sides, lifting the bar from the thick metal and wooden door and holding it open for the guests.

Once inside, there were meticulously created paintings on the walls. Most prominently featured was a young woman with wavy, jet black hair and beautiful green eyes. It was easy for them to tell that the woman in the pictures was probably the girl who they’d seen in Emma’s earlier vision, trapped and pleading for help. In one of the paintings, she was surrounded by what looked like magic, but it wasn’t the white magic that Emma usually wielded, or the darker colors of magic that Regina often had, but it was a pale bluish color, bordered by a vibrant yellow. As they walked further into the room, there was a picture of Hook and Emma battling an unseen foe.

None of those pictures were particularly surprising, but the picture that was painted across the back of the room stopped them both in their tracks. Hook was fighting what seemed to be a large, dark shadow. Behind the battle, Emma held a baby. The child had the same jet black curls and beautiful green eyes as the hero shown prominently in the room. In the painting, Emma had her arms wrapped tightly around the child as she protected the infant with her magic.

As Hook and Emma stared with shock at the image in front of them, Raina said, “There are many dangers in knowing too much about your future. I'll do my best not to say too much. But our hope is withering, and something brought you here to us. These are desperate times.”

“What happened?” Emma asked.

“It has long been foretold in this book,” Raina began as she pointed at a book that looked similar to Henry’s, “that this woman would break the curse here and reunite us with the other half of our homeland. These paintings have been done by the faithful here, by people who believe that one day this curse will be broken. We’ve waited patiently for the day when she would arrive.”

“When who would arrive?” Emma asked. She had obvious suspicions, but she wanted someone to confirm them.

“Your daughter. It was in the book. The daughter of Killian Jones and Emma Swan would break our curse. She was the product of true love, uniting the opposing forces of hero and villain from across realms. She was to be extraordinarily powerful. Captain, you defeated the black shadow that hunted her down as a child. This story, one of heroism, bravery and love, is a beloved story for our people…the story of our salvation. And then about two weeks ago, there was a disturbance…like an earthquake. We were surveying the damage and when I came in here, I realized that most of the pages of our book were blank. The stories of our heroes… gone. The tales of your love ripped from the book without the slightest evidence of how or why. We were all devastated. Once word got out, it spread quickly throughout the land, and the people were without hope. Julien ran ahead of you to tell us about your arrival at his house. I immediately came down here to check the book, and I saw two new pages. Moments later, I was told you were here.”

Raina opened the book and turned the pages. The pictures were similar in style to those in Henry’s book. There was a picture of Hook kissing Emma’s cheek as he broke the curse and brought back his memory. The next page showed the pair as they walked into the village and were surrounded by the townspeople.

“That’s amazing,” Emma said as she touched the pictures. “They just appeared?”

“Yes,” Raina answered. “You can see why you’ve created such a stir here in town.”

“So what do we do? How do we find this shadow from the paintings? Maybe that’s the best place to start,” Emma suggested.

“I don’t know,” Raina answered. “Much has changed, I’m not sure what things have remained the same. I have a few scholars reviewing the details of the original prophecy, and perhaps they will be able to help you.”

Just as Emma was preparing to speak again, Hook interjected, “Excuse me a moment.”

He left the room and dashed through the great hall and out the doors to the outside, taking a deep breath and filling his lungs with the night air. He walked around the side of the castle and climbed up a low wall that surrounded the back, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. The view there was stunning. He could see the tops of the trees they’d been beneath, the leaves lit by the bright moon above, and the darkness below in all of the places where the moonlight couldn’t reach.

Emma wasn’t far behind him, and within a couple of minutes, he heard her footsteps on the gravel as she approached. She pulled herself up on the wall and sat next to him and said, “It freaked me out a little too. Things got kind of serious in there, huh?”

He didn’t answer, brushing some of the dirt down from the wall but not answering.

“I understand what it’s like to hear that you’re a hero. You're suddenly responsible for the happiness of so many people…the pressure, the expectation. I know it’s a tremendous burden. It’s intimidating.”

“I’m not intimidated,” he somberly answered.

“Are you okay? You seem upset,” Emma asked, worriedly.

“I never pictured myself as a father. When Milah was killed, it seemed like any possibility of that was killed as well. When I met Baelfire, though…for a moment in my life I thought about how I might enjoy having a family of sorts. That didn’t work out either. Oddly enough, when we saw those pictures and listened to that woman’s story…when she suggested that you and I might have a daughter…do you know what I felt?” he asked, his eyes staying focused on the leaves below him.

“What?”

“I felt a sense of happiness about it. It’s ridiculous, I know. I’d be a poor choice for a father, but for a few seconds… I thought about the possibility. And then I looked at you. Do you know what I saw?” He looked at her, betrayal in his eyes, and said, “I saw _horror_. Even the thought…I suppose I can’t blame you.”

“Killian,” Emma said with sad empathy, her head tilting with concern.

“You don’t have to say anything, Swan. I know what I saw.”

Emma put her hand on his and said, “I can’t deny it. You did see horror.”

He breathed an angry sigh and smiled bitterly as he nodded. “I know.”

“But it wasn’t because of you or the possibility of us having a child some day. It took me some time to face how I feel about you, but when I told you I love you, I meant it. Nothing about _you_ horrifies me.”

“Then why did you have that reaction?” he asked.

“Because I understand the pressure of being a saviour, and she’d have that over her every day of her life. She’d be born with a target on her back. She’d have the weight of an entire kingdom on her shoulders before she could even crawl. She’d never have a normal life. It wasn't about you. I just…don’t know if I could do that to my kid.”

He nodded, “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter anyway. Something has changed and she’s been removed from history.”

“I think it might be my fault. I took that potion from Odalee that’s supposed to prevent pregnancy, and I don’t have a way to reverse it. I wasn’t worried about it because I figured Odalee or Regina could make a counter potion if I ever needed it, but if we can't break the curse, I don't know if we can get back home to get the potion. I mean, you and I just started a relationship and I was enjoying the present, so I wasn’t really thinking about a future. It was too soon. And now I can’t help but wonder if it’s my fault that she disappeared. Maybe when I took the potion, I removed the possibility of her,” Emma said worriedly. “I gave up my first child and possibly erased my second from existence. My track record as a mother is not so great.”

“You’re a fantastic mother,” Hook said, leaning a little closer. He saw the pain and worry in her face, the guilt of decisions of the past building in her mind. “Raina said the girl disappeared from their books about two weeks ago, but you just took the potion yesterday, so clearly you didn’t erase the child from existence. Something happened before you took the potion.”

“Two weeks ago…that was when we came back through Zelena’s time portal.”

“That thought had occurred to me as well.”

“I thought we fixed everything.”

“We did…in _our_ past. It’s easy to forget that one person’s future is another person’s past. We made everything right for your past, for your parents…”

“But we changed our future. I brought that woman back. Saved her life,” Emma said ruefully. “You were probably right, I shouldn’t have gotten involved. I couldn’t just leave her to die—“

“I know you couldn't,” he answered, smiling knowingly at her. “I told you, I knew who you were long before we were close. Besides, any number of things could have been changed upon our return. We’ll figure out how to help them rewrite their book. There has to be more than one way to break the curse.”

“I know we will. After all, it's official. You’re a hero. These people know it. How does it feel? They revere you.”

She gazed at him as he shrugged. His quiet and uncertainty, so different from his usual bravado. It reminded her of the way he was when his memory had been taken.

“You may know me, but I know you, too. I’ve told you before…you are a hero. Like it or not,” she said, grabbing his lapel gently to be sure she had his attention. “Even if you don’t believe me when I say it, this entire culture sees you like that. There are murals dedicated to you and your heroism,” she said with a teasing lilt.

“To us,” he clarified.

“They did manage to capture your defining trait,” she said as he held up his hook with acceptance. “I meant your devilish handsomeness,” she teased.

He finally grinned, “Good to hear you’ve accepted that.”

“Oh, it’s undeniable,” she playfully answered.

“Had I not met you, I’d still be pirating,” he said more seriously. “You changed my life.”

“For the better, I hope.” After a few moments of silence, she asked, “What is it you _really_ want in life? Do you miss being a pirate? Do you want a family? We’re always dealing with one crisis or another, we barely have time to react to that much less think about any type of future.”

Without a second’s hesitation, he looked at her and answered, “I want you. And whatever comes with that.”

“It’s _that_ simple?” she asked, inquisitively.

“It _is_ that simple,” he answered straightforwardly.

He was so forthright with the intensity of his devotion, and now that she wouldn’t run away from it…she _couldn’t_ run away from it…she sometimes didn’t know how to react in any way but physically. The guards who were standing watch behind them and the townspeople who were still coming to see their heroes made her realize that flinging him on the ground and fucking him senseless was probably not appropriate for the time and place. Her heart became so overwhelmed with her feelings for him that she didn’t know where to go with the excess energy. The sky above them crackled with a few bolts of lightning and he looked at the sky overhead and said, “We had better find shelter before this next storm drenches us again.”

“Yea,” she said with a timid smile, not quite ready to explain the true reason for the electricity in the sky.

“We need to find lodging. Does Granny’s have a location in this town?” he joked as he hopped down from the wall.

“Raina offered us a place in her castle. There’s plenty of room there,” Emma answered as she jumped down as well. Emma pointed at the people coming up to greet them. “We’re attracting quite a crowd.”

As they walked through the crowd that was growing, they were each stopped by people. Some people were pleading for help to find their long separated loved ones, some thanked them, some offered to assist, some tried to offer food or gifts, but all of the townspeople welcomed the visitors with opened arms. A pair of young women approached Hook, blatantly propositioning him even though Emma was standing within earshot. Hook replied to them so quietly that Emma couldn’t quite make out what he had said, and then he turned to Emma and gestured toward the castle.

While they walked, she said, “Looks like someone has a few admirers.”

He tapped his ear and answered smugly, “Is that a touch of jealousy I hear?”

“I don’t know. Maybe…a very tiny touch,” she replied, trying but failing to sound like she was just joking.

They had just reached the steps of the castle when he grabbed her wrist and turned her to face him. She was one step higher than him when they stopped.

“Ms. Swan,” he said. “I have given up my ship for you. I’ve given up a life as a pirate that, at one time, I quite enjoyed. All of the other pirates and villains think I’ve gone soft, which means I’ve squandered a reputation that I've put a great deal of time and effort into building…for you. I told you only moments ago that you are the only thing I want in all of the realms after waiting a ridiculously long time to fall in love again. So do you really think I would simply move on to someone else? I'm not sure what else you might require as proof of my intentions.”

She shook her head and smiled, whispering, “I don't require any other proof. But I _really_ need to get you to our room.”

Once they were back in the castle, a guard directed them to their room. Emma said to Hook as their footfalls echoed in the halls, “In some alternate lifetime somewhere…you and I made a pretty amazing baby. Didn’t we?”

“Of course we did. I’ve told you before…we make quite the team.”     

 


	11. Best Interests

When Hook and Emma entered their guest quarters, Emma was amazed by the lavishness of the accommodations in a kingdom that seemed to have so little. Two servants at the castle offered to attend to their guests’ every whim. While Hook was sort of amused by the attention, Emma was immediately overwhelmed at the very thought of a servant, so she quickly assured them she didn’t need anything and sent them away. Before one of the young women who’d been sent to help them left the room, she politely said, “There’s a bath that’s been prepared in the next room with towels and nightclothes miss, if you need them.”

Hook rambled about royal opulence and excess as he looked around the room, and Emma got the distinct impression that he was looking for treasure. Emma, with a tone of the utmost irritation, was griping about being perfectly capable of taking care of herself when she opened the door to the next room and gasped. He hurried to her side, never sure what was going to happen to them next, and he smiled when he saw what she was looking at. In the room in front of her, there was a large tub, steam wisping above the water. The tub was formed by beautiful carved stone, and the room the bath was in was bigger than some of Emma’s apartments had been. “This is insane. What in the hell am I supposed to do with this?” she wondered numbly.

He leaned over her shoulder and smiled. “I thought you just finished saying you were perfectly able to take care of yourself. Royals…,” he teased. “Can’t do anything without one of us commoners to look after you.”

She scowled as he circled in front of her, carefully sliding his hook into her shirt between her breasts and tugging her forward. “You’re gonna rip my shirt,” she warned.

“Then I suppose it’s in your best interest to come without a fight,” he answered. He knelt down with a flourish, and she folded her arms and scoffed with irritation because she thought he was just bowing before her. He tapped her foot until she lifted it, and he pulled off her boots and socks. His hand slid up her thighs over her jeans, and she could feel the heat of his hand pressing the fabric against her skin. After he unbuttoned her jeans, his hook slid in her waistband and started lowering her pants and panties. The cold metal slid over one thigh while warm fingers slid over the other.

Once her pants were off, he gazed at the juncture of her thighs, involuntarily licking his lip while his hand moved between her knees and brushed delicately up her leg. “What can I help you with next, your Highness?” he said, joking, but his voice was so low and desirous that it seemed more genuine than witty.

“I can undress myself,” she answered, but just as his actions and tones gave away his true thoughts, her voice was soft and raspy, and she automatically opened her thighs just a little more, silently encouraging him.

“A true royal should know how to let someone else take care of them. Fortunately for you...you have me.” He stood, helping her out of the last of her remaining clothes without his eyes leaving hers. “Of course,” he commented as he worked, “The key to allowing someone to take care of you fully is finding someone you can trust. Then you simply…turn yourself over to them.”

He slipped his arm under hers, and in one careful move, lifted her in his arms and carried her over to the bath. She slid slowly into the tub as the water enveloped her like warm silk. The heat of the water reached beneath her skin as she stretched, sinking completely underwater before allowing herself to float to the surface. It wasn’t until the water covered most of her body that she realized how weary her muscles had become. She leaned forward, placing her arm on the edge of the tub and resting her forehead on it, taking a moment to just unwind.

She could feel him smirking at how easily she acquiesced to the luxury offered her. “Shut up,” she said preemptively.

“Enjoy it while you can, Swan. Tomorrow we’ll probably be back to beds of dirt and bathing with leeches,” he commented as he undressed.

He stepped into the tub and gratefully exhaled at his own comfort. Her voice was muffled since her head was still down, but she jabbed, “Didn’t take much to sway you to royal living either.”

“Pirates have an appreciation for the finer things. We have, perhaps, the most well-developed appreciation for them.”

“Yet so few have castles.”

“We do have castles. They’re called ships. I doubt I’m the first pirate to sneak his way into a princess’ bedchamber to enjoy the… _accommodations_ …for the night,” he suggested before he completely submerged himself in the water and came up behind her.

His hand moved over her back, following the shape of her lowest rib to the front before he pressed his palm against the flat of her chest between her breasts and pulled her back against him. His hand explored her torso for the sheer joy of touching her, feeling her nipples hardening more each time he brushed over them. She lifted her head, allowing her whole body to float through the water into his embrace. She leaned her head back on his shoulder, her wet hair already chilly on his skin.

His hand finally surrounded her breast, done with the subtle brushes and teases that felt as wonderful as they did insufficient. He rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, apply just enough pressure to make her breath quicken. He could feel her chest expand as she breathed harder.

She rocked back against him, pressing her butt against his groin. He inevitably groaned and lifted his hips, feeling the intoxicating bounce of her firm ass as she moved. The telltale twitch of his cock as blood rushed away from every _other_ place in his body signaled his want to her, and his desire was her favorite aphrodisiac. “Easy, love,” he warned as he stilled her hips with one firm grip of his hand. “This is a lesson in yielding to the services of a man with your _best interests_ at heart. Not the other way ‘round.”

His wrists slipped between her knees, parting her legs and moving upward toward the meeting of her thighs. His hand slid steadily higher, his palm pressing against her sex, but only for a moment. His fingers rested on either side of her slit as he moved them in waves, offering enticing but indirect stimulation that had her wriggling against his chest. He pressed his fingers to the sides, opening her folds and allowing the water that was _almost_ too hot to surround her sex. Her head pressed back further as she leaned into him, the water almost as nice as her memory of his hot mouth intimately covering her. His finger tapped softly at her clit, and she felt her entire sex throbbing from the water and his touch.

She started rocking her hips back against him again, but this time it was because she had to, and not simply because she wanted to. Her body was moving of its own accord.

She spun in his arms, deciding that, although passivity had its place, she was a woman of action. She wrapped her legs and arms around him, tightly inviting him into her body. He slipped his cock through her silken folds, sliding his erection along her slit a few times without entering her. And, fuck, she just wanted him inside her. She wanted pounding and thrusting and fulfillment. She wanted his breath against her skin and his grunts of pleasure and his hips pistoning between her legs as he filled her.

He moved in the water, positioning her back against the edge of the tub, and she was certain that in a few seconds, he’d be inside her. He lifted her legs, though, placing the backs of her knees over his shoulders. He grabbed the edge of the tub, cradling her hips in his arms as she leaned her elbows on the stone behind her to keep her balance. He kissed her thighs, his beard scratching at her skin and reminding her that he was going to go at his own pace and do exactly what he wanted. She was getting impatient for relief, so she complained, “Stop messing around.”

“Perhaps I like messing around,” he grinned. “You don’t like surrendering control even at a time like this?”

“You’re just teasing. It’s making me crazy.”

“I’m not just teasing. I fully intend to follow through. I promise your needs will not go unfulfilled.”

He kissed her thighs again, moving to the very top as his tongue slid over her skin, coming closer to where she wanted him. His tongue slipped just barely between her folds, tasting the flavor of her desire on only the very tip of his tongue. Finally covering all of her sex with his warm mouth, he began to steadily move his lips to surround her clit.

He just barely sucked at her nub of nerves, his lips pulsing around it as his tongue flicked the tip, and her back arched at the long awaited sensation that burst through her body. He stayed like that for a few moments, and the consistent rhythm allowed her to start to anticipate the sensations, the ebbs and flows in attention between indirect and direct contact. She was lifting against him to encourage each suck and flicker. Her body fell into the rhythm, twitching against him as her peak neared. And then he stopped, inexplicably, frustratingly leaving her just shy of orgasm.

He moved lower, delving his tongue into her core while his upper lip just barely nudged her clit. Again he found it, that same steady but patient pattern of attention that made her whole body hum. At that point, she was so swept up in what he was doing that she couldn’t have formed a coherent sentence if she tried. She finally seemed to fully surrender, her head tipping back as the frustration seemed to leave her body and transform into a desire that could fully indulge in the moment. Her moans of appreciation became almost ethereal as her body reacted without any reservation or control on her part. And her completely uncontrolled response was the thing that drove him wild. He was the man who could take her there. She’d turned over her careful control to him as she writhed against his face and let desire take over.

She’d been at that high level of stimulation for so long, just short of plunging over the edge, but he didn’t want to provoke the end, he wanted to let it rise naturally as she reached that point. When she finally tipped the scales and the erotic pleasure flowered into climax, her hands grabbed the back of his neck and head, her nails digging into him while she screamed so beautifully it was almost like a sensual prayer, she lifted her body closer to him, practically sitting on his shoulders as she tried to get closer to the source of her pleasure. For a few moments, she wished it would never stop.

When the powerful sensations started to overwhelm her, she pulled away, letting her body sink into the water again. She turned, moving her back against his chest and dragging his arms around her. She pressed her forehead against his face as she sighed his name.

His needs could only go unanswered for so long. After all, she was the most alluring, arousing creature he’d ever found. He lifted her legs back over his thighs and positioned himself at her entrance. The head of his cock bumped her clit as he slid against her a few times, and she practically shrieked at the touch. He bit his lip as he anticipated the feelings that were soon to come. As soon as he moved into her body, he was convinced there was no other place in the world he wanted to be. He didn’t pause, thrusting steadily into her, feeling the gradual stretch of her muscles as she clung to him. It felt like he just barely fit, her body snapped tightly around him, surrounding every contour of his erection. Her muscles were still clenching and releasing from her previous orgasm, tightening around him in repetitive pulses.

He stayed there, fully buried in her, feeling the tight grip and pulsation of her heat as she allowed him in. He took hold around her hips and started to move her as he stayed still, sliding her buoyant body along his raging erection. His patient escalation of her arousal had taken its toll on his resolve. He ran his nose up her spine, kissing her neck and nipping her shoulder, trying to give her a few more seconds to get used to him inside her before he let go of patience and claimed her body. The water sloshed around them, hitting the edges of the tub before splashing back around their bodies. They melded together, skin warmed by water and each other as they merged into one. The tension in him quickly built to the unbearable, and then he came, emptying his body, heart and soul into her.

They floated in the water for a few quiet moments as he kept her in his arms. Her head was still leaning back against his shoulder when she turned and muttered, “I could get used to this.”

“You say that, love, but the first cry for help or sign of someone terrible doing something wretched, and you’ll be battle-ready,” he mused.

“That’s true,” she said as she smiled. Then she added sort of timidly, her lips barely moving, “But I wasn’t talking about the royal housing.”

“Oh,” he replied, smirking just a little. “You meant…”

“Yea. I meant…” she said, mimicking him. Even that little admission seemed to make her really uncomfortable, so instead of letting him continue with whatever he was going to say, she kissed him.

* * *

When Emma woke the next morning, Hook had already left the room. Raina met Emma and took her on a brief tour of the castle. When they found Hook, he was in the room with the paintings and the book that had been so carefully guarded. Emma could hear his voice before she saw him. As she peered through the open door, she saw at least twenty soldiers and a few townspeople standing around him. He’d taken a spot at the front that was slightly raised, so she could see him beyond those who were gathered around him.

“How long has he been down here?” Emma asked.

“Before sunrise,” Raina answered. “He came to study the book and paintings. The guards said he was there for hours looking at the walls before he called them in to talk about the stories.”

Once Emma stepped farther into the room, she could hear exactly what he was saying. “And you,” he said, pointing at one of the soldiers, “Do you want your wife back?”

The soldier nodded, answering with perfect militarily discipline, “Yes, Captain.”

“What about you?” Hook asked, pointing at another solider, “You want your children back?”

The next soldier replied with the same formality, “Yes, Sir, Captain.”

Hook moved across the line, pointing at the different soldiers and townspeople and asking, “And do you want your land, and your parents, and your husband?”

“Yes, Captain,” the people yelled, almost in unison.

“I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but this… _thing_ …has taken something from every last one of us. And he may have _taken_ what’s ours, stolen it right away from us, but we’ll not let him _keep_ what is ours,” Hook said with all of the energy and magnetism of a true leader.

The small crowd in front of him roared shouts of support.

He paused and then, with ominous determination, said, “They’ll not keep us from our homes, separate us from those we love, rip our children from our arms as we stand idly by.” As the shouting of support died down, he added, “We will fight. We _will_ destroy this shadow.”

The crowd followed with pledges of support and service, each offering to do what they could to help him destroy the menace. Emma wondered how long he’d been talking to them. He already seemed to know some of their stories, motivations, and the things that they'd lost. She’d become so accustomed to him as one in a pack of allies that she’d forgotten that, for most of his life, he was a leader. It became clear during those few moments why he’d been such a successful captain.

Stepping through the crowd, she could see plainly that he’d become devoted to his mission. When his eyes met hers, she could sense that he was waiting for her reaction. He quickly made his way to her, saying, “I apologize for leaving unannounced this morning. I needed to think."

"You don't have to apologize," Emma responded.

"While I was here, I did a little research, spoke to a few of these people about what has happened.”

“Did you find out anything?”

“Quite a bit, actually. They told me Odalee is here in this world.”

“Then who did we meet with before? Who sent us here?” Emma worriedly asked.

“I’m not sure,” Hook answered, “but I’m going to bloody well find out.”

“Which one is the real Odalee?”

Hook replied, “I don't know. We’re going to meet her today. Perhaps we’ll be able to figure it out.”

He was studying Emma, looking for signs that would tell him what she was thinking. He wasn’t even sure how long she’d been listening to him. He wasn’t sure if she was able to easily read his thoughts and motivations. And he definitely had no idea if she wanted the same things that he wanted, but this wasn’t the time or place for that particular conversation.

Emma replied resolutely, “Let’s go get some answers.”

Her answer was good enough for him. He could see it in her eyes, she wasn't pushing him away. 


	12. Chapter 12: Transferred

When Emma and Hook were introduced to Odalee in this world, there was a certain element about the woman that seemed the same. She had the same unseeing eyes that somehow seemed to see, and an aura of power about her, but she looked different. Here Odalee was shorter and chubbier, with a more lively and jovial appearance. Her home was quite similar, with vials, herbs and bottles of questionable objects, and the walls and doors were covered with various symbols and runes, and in the center of the room, there was the same large, bubbling cauldron.

“Welcome, welcome!” Odalee cheerily said, inviting her guests into her home.

One of the trusted palace guards introduced Odalee to her visitors, and Hook said, “Apparently there is an imposter in the place we just came from who is pretending to be you.”

The old woman dismissed the guards with one flick of her wrist.

“She’s no imposter,” Odalee replied, more interested in tossing ingredients into her cauldron than she was in her guests.

“She is claiming to be you,” he explained. “Or perhaps you are claiming to be her. She sent us on this voyage.”

Odalee was bustling about, stirring and staring into the cauldron each time she returned to it.

“Who the hell sent us here? Which one of you is Odalee?” Emma asked heatedly.

“Both of us are,” Odalee replied calmly as she took a seat in a worn old rocker. “She is me, or a projection of me into another world. I am the original vessel, so to speak.”

“A projection that could lift up solid objects?” Emma skeptically countered.

“If you have a willing host, magic can do many things.”

“Why would someone allow you to control them?”

Odalee didn’t seem affected by Emma’s doubt or suspicion. The old woman patiently answered, “Because the people need me. I have been a leader for a long time. When our world was divided, the people were terrified. Many became angry or depressed. When I was finally able to make contact, a dear friend, my sister, offered to allow me to be with my people in her world through her. She trusts me.”

“You’re using her like a puppet?” Hook asked.

Odalee started to become more annoyed and replied, “She allows me to be there when I need to be so I can take care of my people, reassure them they are not alone. I don’t control her unless I’m needed in their world. She calls for me.”

Emma’s suspicion eased and she said, “We don’t mean to accuse you of anything. I’m just trying to figure out exactly what is going on here. The last few days have been…strange. It’s hard to know what to believe anymore.”

The old woman explained, “Well, without revealing too much of your future, when you went through a time portal, you changed your future. You caused a rift between the two of you that would ultimately change your fates. Emma, you just kept pushing him away. You told him you needed time to sort out some things, you weren’t able to consider a relationship yet. You asked him to give you space. He chose to try to track down his ship while you sorted things out. He never returned.”

“That can’t be true,” Hook interrupted. “I wouldn’t simply leave and never return. Nothing would stop me from coming back.”

“You can’t come back if you’re dead,” Odalee answered directly.

“Did you bring us back in time?” he asked.

“I can see the future. When you returned to your world after traveling through time, I gazed into my cauldron and saw your new future, and my people’s new futures as well,” the old woman replied.

“You simply picked us up and moved us to a new world? What manner of portal did you create?” Hook questioned.

“I have my tricks,” Odalee replied.

Emma remembered having a vision of Hook’s death. Less concerned about how they’d gotten there and more concerned about Hook’s potential demise, Emma asked with wavering voice, “How do we save him?”

“I already did,” Odalee said, leaning back in her chair with a satisfied grin. “When I realized he was going to die, it was clear things had gotten too far off course, so I brought you here.”

“You couldn’t just tell us? Send a messenger? You dragged us through all of this?” Hook asked.

Odalee rocked for a few moments and said, “You didn’t need me to tell you what to do or give you insight into the future. What you needed…was time to find each other. Time to fall in love somewhere away from the pressures of family and heroics. Time away from excuses you could use to put a wall around yourself. Your trip has given you that, no?”

“So it was what…a setup? A date? This was your idea of a romantic getaway for two?” Emma scoffed.

“No, but apparently it was yours, ‘cause it worked, didn’t it?” Odalee replied with a knowing grin.

Emma looked away awkwardly, but answered, “Odalee…the other…you…she said we’d have to atone. Something cursed Hook and he lost his memory. Who did that to him? Who required atonement? Was that this shadow?”

“Who did that to _him_?” Odalee chuckled. “That wasn’t his atonement, sugar. That was yours.”

“Mine?” Emma gawked.

“It wasn’t so much about atonement as…a little life lesson.”

“What sort of lesson?”

Odalee quoted, “’Too often we don't realize what we have until it's gone… ’ That ring a bell? I knew I didn’t have to force the two of you to fall in love. I knew love would come if it had the chance. But I thought a little nudge might not hurt. If I wouldn’t have brought you two here, and he would have died, you would have been devastated for the rest of your existence. I simply showed you that you didn’t want to lose him. A little adventure seemed the perfect thing to bring you together.”

“The potion…the one to prevent pregnancy…it wasn’t real, was it?” Emma accused. “Did you try to trick me into having a baby so she could break the curse you’re all under?”

“Watch your tongue, child,” Odalee warned, suddenly seeming much more intimidating. “I wouldn’t do that to anyone. Whether or not the two of you fall in love, whether you have a child or not…that’s all up to you. No one is forcing you into anything. I may facilitate, but I don’t take away your free will.”

“Sorry,” Emma quietly answered. “So there is a counter potion? This isn’t permanent?”

“There’s almost always a counter potion,” Odalee answered.

“Can I have it? Just in case, one day, I change my mind? Forever is a really long time.”

“I don’t know why you’d need it,” Odalee answered. When Hook and Emma looked confused, the old woman added, “If you’re going to deal with old women like me, you need to learn to pay attention to the details.”

“What details?” Emma asked.

“Do you remember what you asked for when you asked for that potion? Your exact words?”

“I don’t know…birth control?”

“That’s not what you said. Us conjuring types…we can be quite literal. Think back on exactly what you asked for and exactly what I said I was giving you. When you remember, you’ll know what to do about that potion.”

“So what do we do now?” Hook asked.

“I’m gonna prepare to send you both home,” Odalee said.

“I can’t go home yet. I vowed to help these people get their lives back,” he argued.

“And you will. They trust in you. But it’s best if we allow things to progress in their own good time. The purpose of this was to put you back on track. You are instrumental in breaking the curse, but you can’t break it alone. There are some things that cannot be forced. I’ll help the two of you to get home where you belong. Believe me, Captain, you don’t have to hunt for the shadow, it _will_ come find you. Your opportunity to help them will come soon, but you must be patient,” Odalee said.

“What if I…what if _we_ decide we don’t want to have a baby? I’ve kinda got my hands full with Henry and dealing with whatever shows up in Storybrooke. I’m not exactly in a good position to take care of an infant. There has to be another way to break your curse,” Emma said.

“That is your right. You still control your actions. Although destiny can be very hard to ignore,” Odalee replied calmly.

“We’ll defeat the shadow now,” Hook said resolutely. “Break the curse ourselves and then Emma doesn’t feel obliged to have a child to save these people, and I can make good on my vow to restore what they’ve lost.”

“The shadow will need to be defeated,” Odalee answered, “but that alone won’t break the curse. And we’ve toyed with the future enough. Summon your patience. The right time will come. Go home and live your lives. You’ll know what to do when the time comes. As I’ve said, destiny can be hard to ignore.”

Hook was ruminating, and there was no disguising the fact that he wasn’t happy with the old woman’s plan.

“How do we get home?” Emma asked.

“Leave that to me,” Odalee replied. “Head on back to the castle. I’ll call for you when everything is ready.”

As they walked to the castle, they spoke little. Pulling away from the guards a little so she wouldn’t be overheard, Emma asked, “You want to try to break the curse anyway, don’t you?”

“Aye,” he answered firmly but quietly. “These people deserve to be returned to their families. And you shouldn’t feel obligated to bear a child to break a curse.”

“Couldn’t hurt to ask around. Maybe we can find another way.”

He smiled as he agreed.

Unfortunately, once they’d returned to town something had changed. Both Hook and Emma tried to talk to different people in the town. Hook tried a few of the guards and Emma talked to Raina and the servants that had been offered to her, but no one gave any of the needed answers. Even as Hook tried to convince the soldiers they could defeat the shadow and reunite what had been destroyed, they all replied with eerily similar answers, essentially saying they would patiently wait for the curse to be broken and it was best not to tinker with destiny.

When the pair rejoined in their room later that night and compared notes, the answers seemed so consistent that they were certain the entire town was following a script. The town still seemed to revere their heroes, but they’d obviously been told not to divulge any more information. Hook was furious that they seemed so close to finding enough information when everyone decided to start withholding information. He looked at Emma, the frustration obvious in his eyes as he said, “How are we sure we can trust any of them?”

“They’re trying to protect their future. They don’t want to risk the possibility that we might do something to ruin their chances,” she replied, but she couldn’t hide her frustration either.

“That doesn’t really answer my question, love.”

“I know,” she answered somberly, taking his hand and pulling him closer. “Odalee seems decent enough, but she clearly has one goal: break the curse. So I’m pretty sure she’s behind everyone’s sudden silence. We can trust each other,” Emma assured, “and, for now, that’s all we really need to know.”

They bolted the doors to their room, feeling very isolated in this world, but grateful for each other as they took solace in the tiny piece of this new place that seemed like theirs. It almost reminded Emma of the days when she would be moved to a new foster home, uncertain of her new surroundings. But now she had someone with her. It was so much less lonely, having just one person in her world she could count on.

They shared sleepy sex as they found comfort in the only person in this world that they fully trusted and then fell asleep in each other’s arms. Emma woke again a short while later. The very first thing she noticed was the way his hand tenderly covered her lower belly. He was asleep, so she was certain that it was unintentional, but Hook was gently rubbing her tummy with his thumb. She wasn’t sure why, but that tiny gesture sent a flood of emotions cascading over her.

There was just a momentary flash in her mind where she could see herself with a full pregnant belly with his hand protectively over her. She could almost feel the tiny feet that would kick against his hand. And she knew perfectly well what she felt next…a tremendous sense of loss at something she had never even had.

Emma defied the thoughts in her head, reminding herself that she was practical and cautious in relationships, that she had just started seeing Killian and they had so many things to work out, but she couldn’t deny it, she was saddened by the loss of a baby who never _really_ existed in the first place. The child was nothing more than a vision and a story. Cautioning herself that she shouldn’t even be thinking about such permanent changes couldn’t stop her from thinking about it. It also didn’t take away the sense of loss that tugged at her heart.

She felt tears welling in her eyes as she remembered being pregnant with Henry. As much as she loved the boy now, when she was young and incarcerated, her growing belly was a constant reminder that Neal had set her up, sold her out and left her. No matter what the truth was, she had believed that was the truth at the time. She felt like a failure of monumental proportions, alone and heartbroken, like she’d been duped and used and tossed aside. She knew she was absolutely incapable of giving her firstborn child his or her best chance. It had been hard parting from him after those months when he was with her always. She’d been with that growing baby for longer than she’d been in most of her homes. She’d felt him grow, kick and hiccup, but had been unable to enjoy any of the things soon-to-be mothers often experienced.

Emma wondered what it would be like to experience motherhood without the feeling of being betrayed and abandoned. Even though she had known it was best to give Henry to another family, it had been terribly painful to part with the infant. And now she was separated from Henry yet again, and she missed him so much she couldn’t even describe it. She hoped he was safe. For all of her issues with Regina in the past, at least she knew the woman was just as determined to protect Henry, and that gave Emma some comfort.

The cacophony of feelings and worries and memories and hopes truly hurt to say the least. It was like Hook could sense something wasn’t quite right with her even as he slept. The hand that had been on her tummy moved around her waist as he tightened his hold on her. His nose traced her spine to her neck as he pressed his lips against her softly, sleepily offering support.

As good as he felt, she started to wonder if she was going to lose him, too. What sort of enemy was the black shadow that they wanted to face? She started to wonder if they really would have this baby one day. Emma wondered if Hook felt a sense of loss about the little girl. Still she knew to ask him directly would seem insane. Conversations about children and family seemed drastically premature.

Hook’s body lined hers, his legs curved and perfectly against her legs, his chest pressed flat against her back, his hand splayed to cover as much of her as he could. She breathed in, just a little staggered from her tears. She definitely wasn’t sobbing, but he woke enough to realize something was wrong. His grip loosened a little and he asked, “Am I squashing you?”

“No,” she said immediately, pulling his arm tighter around her.

She thought he had gone back to sleep, but then he lifted his head and looked over her shoulder. He asked, “Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” she answered, feeling like she’d die if she had to actually articulate her feelings at that moment.

Knowing she was hiding something, he guessed, “We’ll figure out this curse here, make things right and be home soon. We’ve been in worse situations.”

“I know.”

Her answers didn’t ease his concern, so he asked, “You won’t tell me what’s troubling you?”

“Just hold me,” she simply replied. “Please.”

He complied, resting his scruffy cheek against her shoulder. He waited patiently until her breath evened and he knew she was sleeping. He decided that promises of success wouldn’t be enough to ease her mind. He had to deliver. He wanted nothing as much as he wanted to love her and to be loved by her in return. His love fueled his desire to ease her worries and bring her every form of happiness. All of the energy and passion that he had focused on revenge for so long had been transferred into love and passion for the woman with tear-stained cheeks who was sleeping in her arms.


	13. Chapter 13: Hopes and Desires

The next few weeks could have been the most leisurely of Emma and Hook’s lives. They could barely walk without tripping over someone who wanted to do something to make them comfortable. They were invited to homes to dine, offered the services of every artisan in town, and always had someone willing to perform every menial task. Of course neither of them was content to spend the days before returning home relaxing and being doted upon by those around them.

They explored as much of the jungle around the town as they could, looking for some evidence of other beings. There were a few homes at the outer most limits, likely put there as lookouts for the rest of the town. While they had hoped these more distant residents would be more willing to share information, even these less connected people refused to give up any information. Every person they found on the island had the same script. None of them tried to lie or deny knowledge, but they all warned about the dangers of knowing too much about the future and encouraged their heroes to put faith in destiny.

They were there longer than either had expected, and the days began to blend together. It had been weeks since they’d visited Odalee in this new world, and she insisted that everything had been prepared for their return home on the first night of the full moon. It was only a matter of waiting. Hook and Emma weighed the possibilities, but since weeks of investigation and questioning didn’t unearth any information about the shadow or the curse, they decided it was time to go home and they’d continue their search for information in Storybrooke. After all, someone had to know _something_ about this. The townspeople were already planning a farewell party for their heroes the night before the next full moon.

As they ate their breakfast the morning before the party, they knew little time was left. Hook, frustrated by the constant dead ends in his quest to defeat the shadow, griped, “I think half of the soldiers here would gladly offer me their left hand if I’d ask for it, but they won’t answer a few simple questions about a damn curse.”

“Soon we’ll be home,” Emma answered. “There’s gotta be something in Regina’s vault or Gold’s shop or the library that can help us figure out what we’re dealing with here. Crossing worlds isn’t easy, but we’ve done it before.” She poked at the gruel-like dish in front of her and groaned, “I can’t wait to have a normal meal. What I wouldn’t do for a grilled cheese or a stack of pancakes with a plain old cup of…” the dishes she had just mentioned appeared on the table in front of her. As she picked up the steaming cup, she finished her thought, “… _coffee_?”

“How did you do that?” Hook asked as he picked up half of the sandwich and investigated it. He took a bite and chewed for a moment before he shrugged and admitted, “It’s delicious.”

“What the hell just happened?” she asked as she sipped the coffee, flinching slightly from the heat of the liquid, but confessing, “God, it tastes so good.”

“You conjured that?”

“Not _intentionally_. Someone else must have because it just appeared. That wasn’t me.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Try it again,” he suggested. When she opened her mouth to speak, he interrupted, “Don’t say it aloud. Maybe someone’s listening.”

She thought for a split second, and then Hook looked down and realized that all of his clothes were missing and he was sitting at the table completely naked. Instantly mortified, he asked, “You did that?”

Emma startled laughing, mostly because of the expression of sheer horror on his face.

“Give me my bloody clothes back,” he ordered.

In the next second, he was completely dressed again, but Emma was still laughing.

“What, exactly, did you ask for?” he asked.

“I said I wanted a naked pirate. I was trying to think of something that wasn’t obvious.”

“Your magic has grown that strong?”

“I don’t know,” she answered, her laughter dying as she started to consider exactly what might be going on. “It’s not the same. I’m not concentrating and it isn’t instinct or self-preservation. It’s just happening when I think.”

“Well, be careful what you wish for.”

“This would be fun if it wasn’t so disconcerting.”

“Your magic has grown stronger since we’ve arrived,” he commented. “Maybe your skills are still increasing.”

“Killian, this is not the same thing. Trust me.”

“Of course I trust you, love, but I doubt it's something to worry about.”

Emma lowered her eyes in frustration, and so he stood and walked over to her seat. He took her hand so she would stand and face him. He lifted her onto the edge of the table and stepped between her legs. “What are you doing?” she griped.

“I don’t know,” he obviously teased. “Once again, what you want is just being given to you. I can’t control it.”

She laughed in spite of herself, resting her wrists on his shoulders. “Maybe this isn’t what I want,” she joked back.

“It must be…your hidden breakfast desires include, coffee and pancakes with a side of someone completely irresistible.”

“Oh please,” she said with a forced eye roll, but she tightened her arms around him, and when his lips moved to her clavicle, she titled her head to allow him access while her fingers slid up the back of his head through his hair.

He pulled her hips closer as they began to kiss, his tongue tracing the shape of her upper lip before sliding into her mouth.

“You should stop,” she sighed, with a tiny moan escaping while she reached under his clothes and her fingernails dragged alluringly down his lower spine.

“Really?” he grinned. “You want me stop?”

She playfully tugged his lower lip between her teeth, her hips lifting against him. “What if someone comes back to take our plates? I don’t want anyone walking in on us. So unless you can—“

Before she could finished the sentence, he untangled their limbs and hurried away, putting heavy chairs against both of the doors. He actually dashed back, ignoring his usual cool just to get back to her. “Once again…whatever you want seems to be offered to you today.”

The subsequent flurry of activity left them both mostly clothed, but disrobed enough, and Emma’s reactions to every touch and sensation seemed heightened.

“The fear of being caught does something for you?” he asked.

“It’s not that,” she moaned. “You feel…you just feel so good today, even better than usual. Whatever you’re doing…don’t stop,” she said as she dragged him up onto the table with her.

Something was _definitely_ different.

* * *

 

Later that morning, Emma convinced Hook to make one last attempt to get some information from the guards. She knew she needed to talk to Odalee alone. The old woman was perched on the top of a chair, precariously balancing on one foot and her cane while trying to get a jar down from a high shelf when Emma found her.

“Tomorrow you’re going home,” Odalee whooped happily as she got down from the chair. “I hear there’s gonna be quite a party.”

“Yea,” Emma answered tentatively.

“You don’t like parties?”

“It’s not that it’s…something’s different.”

“With what?”

“With me. My magic or someone’s magic has been all around me. I get almost everything I can think of just by thinking of it. Certain _things_ feel different, more intense. Even my emotions are amplified. And…I’m late,” Emma was searching for words. “Really late, I think. We went back through time and then came here, and I haven’t exactly been using a day planner lately.”

Looking at Emma like a lost child, Odalee said, “What are you asking, girl?”

“Am I…pregnant? I couldn’t exactly find a pregnancy test around here and…” as soon as Emma said the words, a pregnancy test appeared in her hand. “I guess I didn’t want it enough until now,” she added, with a tone of defeat.

“You don’t need that. Come here,” Odalee said, sitting in her rocking chair and gesturing for Emma to come closer.

The old woman lifted a hand in front of Emma, and her eyes shot open after a second, her expression more surprised than what Emma had expected. “What is it?” Emma asked worriedly. “What’s wrong?”

"Nothing's wrong! There's a lot of magic all through you. It isn't just your magic in you right now. Be careful because, for the time being, all of that power is yours."

“So I’m right, aren’t I? I’m pregnant.”

“Looks like you figured out how to reverse that spell.”

“But I didn’t!”

“You reversed it without figuring it out then.”

“But how?”

“You still don’t know?” Odalee shook her head but finally said, “You asked for a spell to prevent unwanted pregnancy. And that is exactly what I gave you.”

“So you’re saying what? You’re suggesting I want this?”

Odalee stared for a moment and then said, “Are you suggesting you don’t?”

Emma walked to the window, staring through the cloudy glass. “He’s gonna think I knew! That I did this on the sly.”

“You really think that’s what he’s going to think?”

“That’s how it looks! I reversed the spell, didn’t tell him and we’ve been engaging in a lot of consensual activities when he didn’t realize the risks.”

“I suspect he’d believe almost anything you say,” Odalee chuckled, “but maybe you should try talking to him and let him answer for himself.”

Emma looked like she was about to break down in a sea of tears. Odalee walked over to her, put a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder and said, “Girl, last I checked, baby making takes two.”

“I’m well aware of that.”

“What I mean is, a pregnancy can be unwanted by either parent and still be unwanted.”

Emma lifted her head and asked, hopefully, “What are you trying to say? Are you saying this is what he wants?”

Odalee teased, “Maybe there’s other men you’ve been _hanging around_ with the last few weeks?”

“There’s no one else,” Emma answered back tersely.

“Then I supposed you have your answer,” the old woman said with a gentle smile.

Emma smiled back, a little more optimistically but still with some worry. “Is the baby okay?”

Odalee nodded, “Listen for yourself.” She waved her hand toward the cauldron. The water bubbled excitedly and as it calmed down, the room filled with the sound of a beating heart that was so loud and strong it sounded like it was in stereo.

Emma put a hand over her tummy, closed her eyes, and simply listened to the sound that filled her ears. As she listened, Emma’s lips curled into an unmistakable but subtle smile.

After a few moments, Odalee waved her hand and the sound disappeared. The look of worry emerged on Emma’s face again as she started to imagine telling Hook. Even if he wasn’t excited about the pregnancy, Emma hoped he wouldn’t be upset about it.

Sensing Emma’s worry, Odalee said, “It’s gonna take more than a pregnancy to destroy what you have with that man.”

“I hope so.”

“And tomorrow you can go back home, and celebrate this with your family.”

* * *

 

Emma stopped and used the pregnancy test that had appeared in her hand. It was still hard to believe it was true, and she wanted all the proof she could get. It still seemed too early in their relationship for them to have a child, but she felt a different kind of hope that couldn’t be squelched. She could almost feel magic coursing through her veins. Emma wondered how powerful this baby could become once it was grown if it was this powerful already. Still, when she reached the grounds of the castle and saw Hook engaged in a heated discussion with one of the soldiers, she became very nervous.

As she approached, he broke off the conversation and offered a reassuring smile. “Looks like that went well,” she sarcastically stated.

“We only have a few more hours before we’ll be on our way back to Storybrooke and—“

“I need to tell you something,” she interrupted, leading him to a secluded area away from prying eyes.

She pulled out the pregnancy test and held it in her hand. He said, “You found some sort of magic wand?”

“Not exactly. It’s…a pregnancy test. Which I have because…I’m pregnant.”

He looked completely stunned. “The spell? It was reversed?”

“It was,” she said as she started to tear up, worried because she couldn’t tell what he was thinking and he certainly didn’t look thrilled about the news.

He saw she was upset and wrapped an arm around her. “How?” he asked, softly.

“Apparently I asked for a potion to prevent _unwanted_ pregnancy.”

He shook his head for a moment and said, “So it’s not unwanted. I thought we’d know if the spell was broken.”

Every second she looked at his blank expression, Emma was certain that Odalee had been wrong and his assent hadn’t been needed to break the spell. “Killian,” she said somberly, fighting back the tears with every fiber of her being, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that the spell was broken. Had I known, I would have told you.”

“It’s not your fault, Emma, love. I’m likely the one to blame. I had been thinking about it since the night we heard of the prophecy. I probably owe you an apology. I’m sure I broke the spell—“

“Wait, _you_ broke it?” she interrupted. “You want this?”

“I’m certainly not against the idea. I've been entertaining such thoughts.”

“Then why did you look so concerned when I told you?”

“Because you seemed upset. I assumed that meant you were not happy about it.”

“Odalee told me that both of us had to want it to break the spell. I guess she was right,” Emma explained. “I mean, I didn’t think it would happen so fast. I didn’t realize I wanted it until I heard that our daughter was erased from existence, and suddenly…it was all I could think about. I just hope we’re ready for this.”

“We’re ready for anything.” He scooped her up in his arms, lifting her body against his as he hugged her tightly. When he finally put her feet back on the ground, his forehead was still pressed against hers as he suddenly said, “Hell, I’m not thinking. Did I hold you too tightly? I should be more careful.”

“I’m pregnant, not made of glass. You don’t have to treat me any differently. I’m fine. I promise,” she smiled at his concern.

“This is all quite new to me,” he confessed.

“But you’re happy?” she asked.

“Quite happy. And honored. You?”

“I am happy. Nervous, but definitely happy.”

“You have my word, Emma. I’ll not abandon you.”

She smiled, tears flowing more, but now tears of joy and relief, “I know that.”

He stepped back, lifting his flask and wordlessly offering a toast to the heavens before he took a long swig, and held it out to Emma.

She shook her head, “I can’t drink that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I guess some things _are_ different. Rum is not good for…our baby,” she said, pausing slightly before she spoke the words to him for the first time because it sounded so strange.

“Understood,” he answered, smiling a bit as he heard her words. “Mothers-to-be didn’t take such precautions in my land. Which, actually, explains a great deal.”

Emma snickered before she explained, “Some people think it’s safe, others don’t, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

“Now I need to increase efforts to locate and destroy that shadow.”

“I think we should still return to Storybrooke,” she said. “I need to get back to Henry. And I’m still hoping that someone there has some answers.”

“Alright,” he hesitantly agreed as they began to walk back to the castle.

“Wait. There’s something I need from you.”

“Anything.”

“I know you want to protect me, believe me, I get that. I want to protect you too. But what I _need…_ what this baby and I need…is her father. You need to be careful. I can’t lose you.”

“You will never lose me, love.”

“I know you mean that. But I need you to promise to be careful. Any decisions we make about confronting this shadow or breaking the curse…we need to make them together. I won't let you fight this alone. It sounds like this kid has some pretty powerful magic. That means that, for now, I have a lot of power. So you can't go running off on your own. We're in this together.”

He looked away, clenching his jaw for a moment before he turned his full attention back to her. He had a code, and giving her his word meant something to him. “You have my word.”

She tugged his jacket, trying to lighten the mood, “Ya know…There is something you should fear more than the shadow.”

“What’s that?”

With a coquettish smile she replied, “My father.”

“I’m not afraid of your father. Although that conversation is not one I look forward to. His views are a bit traditional. However, I don’t feel like discussing that right now,” he answered, carefully slinging an arm around her waist and holding her like he had the last time they’d danced formally. “In fact, I’m in the mood for a bit of fun. I wasn’t keen on this farewell gathering tonight, but now, you and I will have something truly worth celebrating.”

“Yea,” she said with a grin of her own before she kissed him. “We will.”

“May I accompany you to your second royal gala?” he asked with a tone of formality.

Emma’s eyes skimmed over his face, studying the sincerity in his expression, as she nodded, “I’d like that.”


	14. The Whole Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: Thanks again so much to those of you who have encouraged me as I’m writing this story. I honestly can't thank you enough.

The memory of the farewell party would be something Hook and Emma would carry with them for the rest of their lives. It wasn’t as lavish as the ball they’d attended in the Enchanted Forest. This kingdom simply didn’t have the riches of Charming’s adoptive father or King Midas, but what they lacked in riches, they made up for in their own ways. Candles were perched all over the stone walls, and various local flowers of every conceivable color made the huge stone room come alive. People from all over town came to the castle, filling the air with optimism and excitement. Hook and Emma danced, spending the evening being celebrated as heroes for deeds they hadn’t even performed yet. They secretly celebrated their own good news, sharing private moments even when surrounded by an entire town.

As the hour grew late, people began to go home, most of them offering their thanks and well wishes before leaving. Hook and Emma were sharing one last dance, committing the perfection of a night they shared as a couple to memory, when two of the soldiers danced up next to them. One of the soldiers politely asked if he could cut in, gently taking Emma’s hand as the other soldier, one of the women who’d obviously revered Hook, danced with her hero.

Hook was trying to be a gentleman, but he wanted nothing more than to enjoy one more dance with the woman he loved and spend one last night together in this place. The night had been romantic and special, but the next day, they were going home to be reunited with family. “Captain, Sir?” the woman, Maya, said, “there is something I need to tell you before you go.”

* * *

 

Emma was dancing with the young man who’d cut in. He was kind and witty, occupying his charge with light conversation and a few laughs. She was enjoying the moment, and looked at Killian to see if he was having a good time too. She watched his face. She now felt like she knew all of his expressions well, and what had been a tired smile suddenly became stiff and stoic as he listened.

“What’s going on?” Emma asked the solider in her arms.

“Nothing to be alarmed about, miss,” he answered calmly. “We may have some information that you and the Captain will find interesting.”

“What information?” Emma demanded as she saw Hook and the other soldier casually dancing their way closer.

They traded off partners again, and, as Hook forced a smile at Emma, she said through gritted teeth, “What in the hell is going on?”

He brushed his lips against her temple as he held her closer, whispering, “I will tell you, love, but you must be patient. We need to be cautious about being overheard.”

He pulled back to gauge her reaction and she said, stiffly, “Fine.”

Once they danced toward the edge of the room, away from the rest of the crowd, Hook said, “It seems one of my men, or rather, one of my women, has decided to break her silence.”

“She told you about the shadow?” Emma asked, purposefully masking her excitement to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

“Indeed. After this dance. I think it’s time for us to politely excuse ourselves.”

* * *

 

The next hour as they tried to gracefully leave the party seemed like an eternity. Emma didn’t feel like being cautious, she wanted to run out of there and get the answers she needed, but she did what she had to do. When they finally got back to their room, the soldiers were waiting there. “Will someone tell me what’s going on here?” Emma asked as soon as she saw them.

“There’s a talisman,” Hook whispered to her. “The shadow draws some of his power from it. If we can retrieve this talisman, we’ll have a clear advantage.”

Maya explained, “A few of our group left nearly two weeks ago to retrieve the object. We’ll meet them at the rendezvous point tonight and give you the talisman to take home with you tomorrow so we don’t arouse any suspicions.”

“Let’s go,” Emma said immediately.

Hook, confused by the sudden willingness of this pair of soldiers, asked, “Why the last minute change of heart? I’ve been asking for weeks, and no one has seen fit to give me even the slightest bit of information. Why now?”

The soldier fixed her gaze right in Hook’s eyes and said, “We are under very strict orders. This wasn’t an easy decision, but all in our group have finally agreed. It’s the proper thing to do.”

“You’re no longer worried about changing the future?” he pressed, still not convinced.

“Of course I am, sir. This small group of soldiers is willing to commit treason in order to assist you. By waiting until the last minute, hopefully you won’t do or say anything that might make it clear to others that we have broken the decree made by the queen that demanded our silence. I didn’t want to put any of us at risk.”

Hook nodded, but still seemed hesitant. He crossed his arms and stepped closer, “That only further begs the question…why risk so much? Why risk your future and the penalties of treason to help us when you already know that we’ll eventually defeat this shadow and help to break your curse?”

“We’ve all pledged our loyalty to you,” Maya answered.

“Can I talk to you alone for a second?” Emma asked Hook.

She and Hook stepped away and he whispered, “What does your superpower tell you?”

“She’s hiding something. Definitely.”

“That was my assessment as well.”

“Well…what do you want to do?”

He paused for a moment, looking around the room as he considered their options. Emma truly seemed to be treating him as an equal in all of the decisions. The two were becoming a cohesive team. He finally replied, “We’ve already tampered with the timeline. While we’re here, might as well ensure our success. Your thoughts?”

She nodded, pensively, “Yea. We need to be ready to face this thing. Let’s do it.”

* * *

 

A short while after gathering meager supplies, the couple, led by Maya, crept through the escape tunnels beneath the castle to go retrieve the talisman. They hurried through the dense vegetation for nearly two hours before they finally stopped. In a cave near the ocean, they met up with the rest of the group of soldiers who’d decided to help.

The group was huddled around a small fire, looking up at their heroes with hopeful eyes as they waited for the scouts who’d gone ahead to retrieve the talisman.

Hook and Emma sat on the ground, and she leaned against him with his arm draped over her shoulder. She was beyond tired, the hormones of early pregnancy amplifying the exhaustion in her limbs. Although she missed the comfort of their room in the castle, it felt good to be on a mission again. It was almost like being back to normal. Hook was absently rubbing Emma’s arm, staring down at the woman he was beyond in love with and marveling at the feeling of actually being in love when that love was not tainted by circumstance.

A disturbance just outside the cave caught everyone’s attention. Two soldiers had gone to take the talisman, and only one had returned. This young man, shaking, pale and consumed by fear, sadly recounted the loss of his partner on the journey, and confessed that he had been unable to bring back the prize. The mood in the camp became despondent and full of mourning.

Hook and Emma left the cave to walk and discuss the situation. Emma found a low branch and jumped up to it, grabbing ahold and doing a few pull-ups. “Readying yourself for a fight?” he asked a bit amusedly while he recalled their past.

“Yup,” she tensely said as her reserves were focused on her exercise.

He stood directly in front and below her, nearly touching her as he watched. “You should be careful.”

“I am being careful,” she said as she continued to exercise.

When she started to tire, he wrapped his arms around her hips and held her still. “You shouldn’t overdo it, Swan.”

She looked down at him, not at all happily and said, “I’m going to be ready for this fight. The only thing that’s changed is that I have a bigger family to fight for. Now let go. Please.”

Hook let go of her legs but still stayed close so he could help her down if she needed it. “You aren’t the only person interested in protecting someone,” he dejectedly answered.

Feeling guilty, she lowered herself, hanging from the branch until she was just above his eye level. She kissed his forehead and replied, “I know that. This whole thing just makes me nervous.”

“Me too,” he replied, looking up at her.

She did another pull-up, and when she lowered down, she kissed his head again, and repeated the process twice more until he smiled at her. “Wanna give me a hand?” she asked, even though he knew she didn’t need it.

He wrapped his arms around her again, helping her down, and she slid along his body until her feet were safely back on the ground. Her arms wound around his neck and their lips slowly met as they shared a deep, passionate kiss.

“I love you so much,” she confessed, kissing him one more time. Her confession was a little tearful and earnest, which made her feel exposed, so she deflected immediately, kissing him and running her tongue along his lip before saying, “Who would have thought I’d already miss the taste of rum.”

“ _Pirate_ ,” he accused with a smirk, and as he prepared to say something else, they heard voices coming closer.

A few of the soldiers were arguing, and clearly did not see their heroes nearby.

“We have to tell them, Marcel,” Maya stated. “If we can’t give them the talisman, we at least need to warn them so they can be ready.”

“We can’t take that chance,” Marcel, the soldier who had danced with Emma, countered.

“They need to know what’s at risk.”

“But at what cost? If one life needs to be sacrificed to restore our people, so be it. It’s one life that will benefit many, many lives. It’s a small price to pay.”

Maya sighed, something obviously weighing heavily on her conscience, “If Emma or the Captain knew one of their own would have to die, they’d never—“

Maya was interrupted when Hook rushed up to Marcel and quickly pushed him against a huge tree trunk, firmly holding him there. With a menacing smile that was amplified by his anger, Killian lifted his hook and traced the point along the throbbing artery in the soldier’s neck. “Don’t move,” Hook ordered. “You have ten seconds to tell me exactly who you’re planning to sacrifice…or I’m going to dig my hook into your neck, _mate_.”

Emma was practically floored by Hook’s sudden actions as she rarely saw him so enraged.

Maya came closer and said, “Give me a moment and—“

“Ten seconds. One,” Hook loudly interrupted as he began to count.

“It’s complicated, sir,” Maya continued.

“Two.”

“Sometimes it’s best not to know too much.”

“Three.”

“Let me confer with my associates and—“ Maya nervously began.

“Four, five,” Hook interrupted in quick succession, adding, “Sorry, I got excited there. I haven’t had cause to bleed out a man for a while, and I kind of miss it. Six!”

“Your son,” Marcel said, looking at Emma, straining his neck to avoid the point of the hook. “Your son is taken. I’m sorry. It’s a small price—“

Hook pushed the soldier more tightly against the tree, and, assuming that the man had been talking to Emma, he said, “You can’t have Henry. I don’t care how many lives it may save or how many people stand to benefit, the boy is not currency for you to spend.”

“Not Henry,” the soldier whispered as he closed his eyes.

Hook’s grip loosened slightly as his eyes questioned, and Maya said, “Please, sir, let him go. I’ll tell you everything.”

“I’ll let go as soon as I’m done getting answers,” Hook commented, narrowing his eyes and refusing to look away from his captive.

Maya stood next to the men and said, nervously, “In our original prophecy, you didn’t have one baby, you had twins. A boy and a girl.”

“What?” Emma asked, stunned.

“What happened to the lad in your original prophecy?” Hook asked.

“The children are incredibly powerful,” Maya confessed. “While you carry them, all of that power is centered in you, Emma. Such concentrated energy can’t go unnoticed for long. Your combined power drew attention from people with very impure motives. That was the original reason why the shadow sought you out. He wanted your children. He wanted to use them to become more powerful. In your original timeline, you didn’t know he was coming. He came one night just a few days after they were born to take them from you. He managed to take your son, to consume his soul. Before he could take your daughter, you discovered him and he vanished. You both went on a quest to destroy the shadow so you could protect your daughter and avenge the loss of your son. The Captain did succeed in destroying the shadow. But sadly, nothing could be done to bring back your son.”

“You didn’t think that was important information to share?” Emma yelled, clearly shaken.

“We didn’t want to tell you too much.”

“Raina, Odalee, everyone…was just going to let him die?” Hook indignantly asked.

“That’s why we wanted to give you the talisman,” Maya replied. “We thought that maybe if you were prepared for the shadow’s arrival and had the talisman, you’d be able to save your son.”

Killian pressed his hook against Marcel’s neck just a little more and asked, at first softly, but becoming gradually louder until he was yelling, “Is there _anything_ else I need to know? Any more secrets? Anyone else who has to die?”

Marcel shook his head, “No, sir, I swear it. There’s nothing else.”

Hook let go, stepping back away from Marcel before he calmly asked Maya, “Why did you decide to help us?”

“I lost a son,” Maya admitted. “I live with that every day. No one should suffer as I have. I was trying to help you. We were all trying to help you and at the same time, we didn’t want to take away our people’s chance to go home. I had hoped to give you the talisman tonight and the rest would be up to you, but at least you’d have a chance against the shadow. But I’m not sure if the talisman can be retrieved. Those men were two of our best, and they were unable to obtain it.”

“We’ll get it ourselves,” Emma said, still stunned from the news.

“But you’re expected to return to your home tomorrow. We’ll never get the talisman and be back in time for your departure,” Maya replied.

“Can you use magic to get us there?” Hook asked Emma.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Emma warned. “If we don’t know exactly where we’re going, we may not like where we end up. It could be a trap. Plus I can't envision a place I've never been.”

“Then we’ll make the journey on foot and strategize our attack.”

“And then find another way home once we have what we need,” Emma added.

“Where do we find this talisman?” Hook asked, turning his attention to Maya.

“This is a basic map,” Maya explained. “It’s not much, but we can leave in the morning if you still want to get it.”

“Of course we want to get it,” he answered.

Emma stepped closer to Hook, entwining her arm through his. “Then we’ll see you in the morning,” Emma said to the group.

Maya began, “Where are you going until—“ and then she stopped when Emma and Hook disappeared in a swirl of white.

"I'm glad that actually worked," Emma said as she and Hook appeared in the cabin of the Jolly Roger. As soon as she made sure he was with her, she turned and cast a protection spell over the ship. He sat on the edge of his bunk, immediately dropping his head into his hands as he had a moment where he could finally let his guard down. "I can get us back to their camp in the morning. At least now we know what they were hiding," Emma said.

She leaned against the desk and waited for him to speak, but it seemed obvious he needed a few minutes to deal with everything that he’d heard. When he finally looked up at her, clenching his jaw to steel his resolve, once again calm and completely in control, he said, “Hopefully that was the last surprise. I must apologize for my earlier display of brutality. When that soldier spoke of a sacrifice…well, I reacted as I always would have. Perhaps not the greatest display for a future father—“

“You have _nothing_ to apologize for,” Emma interrupted. “I’ve told you before, we’re all at our best when we bring ourselves to any fight. And we needed you to get that information. You did that. Besides, I can’t think of anything more paternal than protecting your family.”

Hook stood and began pacing, his momentary burst of distress dismissed. After all, this was how he dealt with things like this. He channeled all of the worry, sadness, anger and frustration into his next course of action. “We need a plan.”

“Here’s the map,” Emma said. “But I say we meet up with them tomorrow. We could probably use the help."

“Do you trust them?”

“They aren’t bad people. I think they just want to protect their families. I’m trying to think of it from their perspective.”

Hook shook his head, and said definitively, “I know you. You’d never sacrifice another child or put them at risk in order to save your own. You’d find another way.”

Emma half-smiled and shrugged, “I’d certainly try.”

Hook thought for a few seconds and then asked, “Do you really think there are twins? Things have changed…timing, circumstances…every moment we’re here, there’s a greater chance that something will change.”

“I heard the heartbeat. It almost sounded like it was in stereo, which could be two hearts beating at exactly the same time, which would, under normal circumstances, be weird, but this is definitely not normal. Or it could have been just one heart that sounded loud and amplified.”

“Can you attempt to hear it again?”

“I didn’t do that…that was Odalee.”

“It seems as if you’re quite powerful now though.”

“I can try,” she answered.

Emma closed her eyes, focusing her thoughts inward and trying to seek out the thud she’d heard before. When it didn’t work, she dropped her head in disappointment. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, love. Besides, whether it’s one child or two, I want that talisman. That shadow won’t be taking any of them.”

He leaned against the desk next to her and she gently teased, “What happened to the guy who was so committed to not changing the future? Weren’t you the one who said if someone is supposed to die, then they have to die?”

Hook looked like he was seriously considering an answer and teased back, “Well, I suspect you can find him hanging out with that woman who used to run away from her feelings and kept devilishly handsome gentlemen at arm’s length as a way to protect herself.”

Emma laughed quietly and retorted, “What losers. What do you think they’re doing right now?”

“Them? They’re busy not changing the future and refusing to fall in love…so they’re safer, perhaps, but also more miserable and alone. Sometimes, one has to know when change is in order.”

“Seriously though…do you worry about it? Are you worried we’re changing things we shouldn’t be changing?”

“We’ve lost too much already…people we’ve loved, my brother, for most of your life you didn’t have your parents…you lost the first ten years of Henry’s life. We’re done losing things, Swan. If it’s possible to save the boy, I’m going to bloody well do anything within my power to do so.”


	15. Return to Storybrooke

That night, everything hit Emma at once. The last few weeks had been an emotional roller coaster to say the very least, ranging from the unexpected euphoria of falling in love, to the devastation of the thought of losing a child, to the fear-hope-excitement concoction of new parenthood.

Hook had been going through his ship, finding things that were small enough to bring along and items that might be helpful. After all, he was relatively certain that he’d lose the Jolly Roger when they went back to Storybrooke, so this was quite an opportunity. She watched him as he prepared, and she could see in his eyes the determination, the dedication, and the resolve of a man who would not fail. For once, she didn’t feel the need to be the lone saviour. His focus filled her with a sense of certainty that they would succeed. She felt her worry fade and the sad ache in her heart ease, replaced by the love she and Hook had for each other and something that she suddenly realized was faith in someone else…faith in him.

By morning, they joined the soldiers who’d been waiting for them, and attacked their mission with complete and total focus. They would get the talisman. They would get back to Storybrooke alive, together. They _would_ save their son.

It took nearly a week to travel deep into the center of the island. The soldiers who accompanied them were vigilant and respectful, obviously trying to prove their loyalty and good intentions. Hook and Emma were focused and determined, resting as little as possible so they could reach their destination. They’d both expected to find an intimidating resting place for the talisman, but as they approached, they saw a small shack. “That’s it?” Emma asked. “There are no guards, no lakes of fire, dragons or hundred foot cliffs? It’s right inside?”

Maya shook her head. “Looks are deceiving. Once inside, we go to the back of the house and there’s a door into the cellar. There are tunnels, like catacombs, that run under the house. It is guarded by magical creatures and, several of our own who have fallen from grace and been persuaded to assist this shadow.”

“These magical creatures have weaknesses?” Hook asked.

“Light magic,” Maya said. She pulled out a sword that she always seemed to carry with her but it had always been sheathed. She held it out to Hook. “This is my gift to you.”

“Thank you, but my sword will do fine,” he politely declined.

“This isn’t an ordinary sword,” Maya replied, pulling it out from its scabbard. The blade itself shimmered, and actually seemed to hum with energy. “It’s enchanted. This blade can banish demons back to the netherworld. Your sword won’t even touch them. Please. Take it.”

Hook nodded his acceptance and took the sword, taking a moment to become used to its heft and the way it moved.

“Now,” Marcel said, “we have no idea how many are hidden within the catacombs to protect the talisman. As far as I can tell, our best chance is to go in as quickly and quietly as possible, get that talisman, and get out into the open.”

“Get in, get what we need, get out,” Emma affirmed. “I like it.”

“The soldier who’d survived the previous attempt to get the talisman has volunteered to lead you to it,” Marcel explained. “Maya and I will also accompany you. The others will wait out here and be ready to help should anything follow us out. Remember, we were told that the talisman is protected, and cannot be retrieved by a person with magic. This was an attempt to guard it from beings like this shadow. Captain, either you, Maya or I will have to get it when the time comes.”

There seemed to be no point in delaying this any longer. Hook and Emma had said all they could, and talking about it anymore would just be an emotional distraction from their mission. They had each heard the others’ spoken words and seen the looks that practically begged the other to stay safe and come out alive. But now it was time to focus on the battle before them. Hook took one moment to press a kiss against Emma’s lips as he said, “This is it, love. The last thing, and then we’ll find our way back home.”

They sneaked through the front door, quickly facing a human guard who was not hard for Maya to subdue. Then they all crept as quickly as they could through the door and down into the tunnels beneath the home. At first they seemed to quickly make their way through the tunnels undetected. When they reached a room at the end of the long tunnel, the hope that their presence was not known was dashed when they ran straight into four guards. Their eyes were inhuman, with bright red irises and dark black pupils that felt like they could bore a hole into someone. Along the edges of the room, wispy black shadows that slithered like snakes moved with such speed they were hard to follow.

And the whole room was filled with the sound of a faint, evil cackle.

The three soldiers, Emma and Hook battled the beings, the soldiers taking care of the human-like threats while Hook with his enchanted sword and Emma with her magic concentrated on the evil spirits around them. Hook took a slice through one of the things that charged at him, and he could hear a piercing scream as the spirit was sucked back down into the ground. Emma didn’t even know exactly what to do, but as the different spirits came at her, as soon as she held up her hand, beams of white light would surround them and close in until the spirit evaporated with the same scream that could be heard when Hook sliced through them.

It seemed, at first, that they would be successful. Once the first room and wave of defenses were taken care of, the team continued deeper into the ground, facing a few enemies along the way as they continued their descent. When they finally reached the room with the talisman, spirits swirled all around them, and the soldiers who were once thought to be defectors all had the same demonic eyes that made it clear that they had been possessed.

The battle was intense as all parties fought as best they could. After several minutes of fighting, Emma realized that Marcel had been badly wounded. Emma called to Maya to help Marcel escape, take him to the surface and get help. Maya hesitantly left, dragging Marcel with her. Hook, Emma and their guide continued to fight, suffering a few bruises and scrapes, but overall faring quite well.

Finally, exhausted and weary, it seemed they’d taken care of most of the threat. Their guide pointed to metal plate on the wall and said to Hook, “Place your hand there. It’s been protected against those who possess magic so they can’t use it to become more powerful. If your intentions are worthy, you can open up the door to the talisman. We’ll guard your back.”

Hook walked up to the plate, putting his hand against the cold metal and watching a burst of light emanate from the space he touched. The rock around the plate crumbled into powder and opened to a storage space in the wall. Within the storage space was a little metal chest. Without hesitation, Hook reached in and grabbed the chest, tucking it under his arm. “Is this it?” he asked the guide.

Emma kept her back to Hook, obliterating any demon that came into the room. The guide tilted his head and held out his hand and said, “May I see it, sir?”

Hook was about to turn over the object, but at the last second hesitated. “Is this it or not?”

Emma yelled over her shoulder as she kept scanning the room for threats, “Do you have it?”

When the guide didn’t respond, Hook became suspicious, but before he could warn Emma, the guide flipped his wrist, and some unseen force seemed to hit Emma in the head, dropping her to the ground. Hook screamed her name and watched with horror as the guide who had led them there transformed.

First the guard’s eyes turned red, and his form stretched until his stature was taller and thinner. He had a white, skull-like image painted on his face, like a voodoo witch doctor, and his wide grin of victory was enough to make a man’s blood run cold. With a deep, threatening voice, he said, “Give that to me, and I’ll allow her to live.”

Hook choked down his terror and answered, rationally, “Of course you’ll allow her to live. Because I know what you want. And for what you want… you need her alive.”

The shadow shrugged and grinned, “The souls of infants…so pure…untouched… _delicious_. But your offspring, created from the true of love of two saviours,” the shadow clasped his hands together excitedly and cackled, “The perfect feast. Your sweet, innocent little babies will make me more powerful than you can even comprehend.”

Hook tucked the chest more tightly under his arm, grabbed the sword and thrust at the shadow, watching it twist easily out of the way of the blade. The shadow seemed more amused than worried, like he was just allowing Hook to attack him for the fun of it. As the shadow laughed, Hook flicked the blade and managed to nick the shadow. The beast screamed, his eyes glowing brighter red with rage as he said, “Perhaps I’ll consume her soul as well, once she gives me those powerful little beings who are growing inside her, but you…well, you’re useless to me. You’ve done all I need.”

Hook realized the nick must have weakened the shadow. The demons that were flooding into the room went straight to Hook since Emma wasn’t conscious to help him. He slowly worked his way toward Emma, holding the chest, and just hoping that he could pick his love up from the ground and somehow drag her out to safety. He got closer, saw that she was still breathing, and felt some hope that at least she hadn’t been killed. “Emma,” he shouted, hoping but failing to wake her.

He swiped several of the spirits that came at him, and was fighting well enough to annoy the shadow. Hook managed to get Emma over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, having more and more trouble fighting off the spirits while trying to carry her and the chest, but he started down the hall. For a moment, the spirits disappeared, and Hook tried desperately to hurry, but as he rounded a bend, so close to escape, he ran right into the shadow. As he turned back, a wall of the demonic spirits blocked his escape behind him.

Holding the sword in his hand, Hook carefully put Emma down and said, “Fine, mate. You want a fight? Let’s fight.”

The shadow laughed and threatened, with a booming voice, “I’ll take you apart piece by piece. And when Emma wakes up… Can you imagine her face when she sees her beloved pirate, father of her children, turned into a human jigsaw puzzle? I think I’ll wait here to see it.”

Hook lunged forward again, managing to get a glancing blow at the shadow, but still not enough to destroy it. It screamed with rage and then a powerful voice echoed loudly through the tunnels, “Enough!”

The demonic spirits all dashed away, fleeing from whatever was coming, and the shadow sneered as he stepped aside. Odalee was standing behind the shadow. “You can’t destroy me,” he gloated to her.

“I don’t need to destroy you,” she answered, walking past him without any fear at all. “I just don’t want you to destroy them.”

Odalee knelt down by Emma, placing one hand on Emma’s arm and one hand on Hook’s boot and suddenly they were gone and reappeared in the jungle, just the three of them.

Hook didn’t care about how the old woman had found them, or what had just transpired. The only thing he could think about was Emma. He dropped on his knees next to her and cradled her in his arms, “Wake up, love,” he pleaded. “Please.”

“She’ll be fine,” Odalee answered waving her hand slowly down Emma’s face.

Emma’s eyes fluttered open as she asked, “What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. You?” he answered.

“Where in the hell are we?”

“I don’t know,” Hook answered. “For the time being, we’re safe.”

Emma stood as he helped her find her footing. He put her arm over his shoulders because she seemed unsteady, and he lifted her into his arms. She didn’t even fight him, her head falling against his chest.

Hook looked at the old woman, “Thank you for helping us,” he said.

Odalee picked up the small chest, holding it with the utmost reverence, and gave it to Emma. The old woman didn’t look victorious. Odalee looked worried and angry. “You just couldn’t leave well enough alone,” she admonished. “Do you have any idea the risks you’ve taken?”

“I won’t apologize for what we’ve done. We couldn’t let our son die. Not for this town, or you, or anyone,” Hook argued.

The last thing Odalee said was, “Well, you’ve got your talisman. I hope you know what you’re doing. When he comes back, you better be ready.”

The old woman held out her hand, and blew on her palm, spraying a sparkly, powdery substance on Hook and Emma.

For a few moments, there was nothing but darkness. As Hook became aware of his surroundings again, he realized they were standing outside of Granny’s Diner, just a foot away from where they’d been when they'd first been taken from Storybrooke. “How’d she return us without a portal?” Emma asked. “No bean, no mirror?”

“I have no idea,” he began, and then he grinned at the woman in his arms and said, “Nor do I care. We did it, Swan!”

She looked at the box, holding it for a moment before she said, “We did, didn’t we?”

“We did,” he affirmed, before he covered her lips with a passionate kiss, the talisman safely between them.

They’d begun and ended this journey at Granny’s, kissing beneath the stars and hanging outdoor lights. He put her feet on the ground and stepped back. Looking down at her stomach, he said, loudly, “Allow this to be a lesson to you about exactly who your parents are, and the lengths they will go to in order to protect you!”

Emma smiled widely, tears full of joy in her eyes. It was the first time he’d talked to their children. The stoic focus and determination that he’d found to keep himself from being overcome with emotion was gone, and she could see the celebration in his eyes. He could finally allow himself to really acknowledge their existence.

“What are you doing?” she chuckled.

“I’m talking to our children,” he announced. Even through the happiness and celebration, she looked tired. He helped her into one of the chairs at the outdoor table and asked, worriedly, “Are you alright? In any pain? Are they alright?”

“I’m fine, Killian. This isn’t over, though. You know he’ll come.”

“It will never be over. There will always be some threat," he replied. Holding up the chest, and sitting next to her, he added, “But we have what we need. And we’ll be ready when he comes.”

Hook opened the chest and the two looked inside, finding a strange little wooden talisman with a face carved into it that looked almost like a tiki face. “All this fuss over that?” she asked, amusedly.

“Tomorrow I’ll start to figure out what in the hell we need to do with it,” he answered, closing the lid and holding the box close to his body.

When the door to Granny’s opened up and someone came out, Emma quickly said, “Henry. I need to see Henry.”

She stood and rushed inside, Hook following protectively. The first person to turn toward them was Regina. She seemed to notice their presence before the couple even came inside, and she studied Emma suspiciously. Emma ran to Henry, wrapping him up in an embrace as she said, “God, I missed you, kid.”

Henry’s brow furrowed, “You were only gone a few minutes.”

Emma smiled, holding her son’s face for a second as she shook her head. There was too much to try to explain quickly. Her legs buckled a little, and Hook was right behind her to catch her. “Easy, Swan,” he whispered, pulling her arm back over his shoulder. “You need to rest.”

The remaining crowd at Granny’s started to notice that Hook and Emma had returned to the diner a bit worse for the wear. They were bloodied and scraped, dirty and tired, and minutes earlier, at least according to those in Storybrooke, they didn’t appear nearly so weary.

David was the first to react, darting over to his daughter’s side. “What’s wrong with her? What did you do?” he yelled at Hook.

“He didn’t do anything,” Emma answered, “except save my ass.”

“In the last five minutes?” David argued.

“Five minutes?” Emma asked.

“You were only gone a couple of minutes,” Mary Margaret said as she approached, still holding baby Neal. Looking at Hook and Emma’s disheveled and dinged up appearance she asked, “What happened to the two of you?”

“We were gone a hell of a lot longer than that,” Emma answered.

“No,” her mother said. “You just walked outside a few minutes ago.”

Regina was busy still studying the pair and came over and asked, “What’s in the box?”

“A talisman,” Emma whispered, saying as little as possible about what they had. “It’s very powerful. We need to hide it somewhere.”

“You look exhausted,” Mary Margaret interrupted. “Let’s get you home.”

Hook’s arm immediately tightened around Emma. After everything they’d been through, he wasn’t about to leave her side. “No. I’ll take her to my…back to…,” he began, until he realized he didn’t have ship or anything else but a room at Granny’s that he hoped was still his, or he’d be sleeping outside. Not that it would be the first time since he came to Storybrooke that he’d have no home. As impractical as it seemed, he wasn’t about to let Emma out of his sight for any longer than necessary.

“We’re taking her home,” David announced.

Emma looked at Hook, also clearly unhappy about the prospect of separation, and she argued, “Wait…,” while she tried to think of an alternative. She was just going to suggest staying with him in his room at Granny’s Inn, but when she looked at Henry, she wanted to be near him too.

Henry asked, “Mom, are you sure you’re alright?”

“I am. You would not believe everything that just happened.”

“Try me,” Henry offered.

“Maybe another time,” Emma replied. “For now, we need to find a safe place to keep this. And then I need some sleep.”

When she turned, she saw David threatening Hook, “What exactly did you do to my daughter?”

Hook seemed bored with David’s display and replied, “Do you _really_ think a woman as powerful as your daughter couldn’t fend me off if she wanted to? Emma can take care of herself. Even if you don’t trust me or my intentions, I’d think you’d trust in her abilities.”

“Something obviously happened,” David responded.

“I love your daughter,” Hook said, very directly. “I’d do anything to protect her. And I’d rather die than do something to harm her.”

David actually seemed to step back, surprised by Hook’s calm but very earnest assertion. David nodded, temporarily satisfied with the pirate’s response.

“David…Dad,” Emma said as she touched his arm, “It’s like I said. He saved my life. Killian is not our enemy. Believe me.”

“Can we delay this conversation for a few hours?” Hook asked. “As much as I’d love to discuss this with you, give you a chance to question my motives and provide adequate intimidation…Emma and I have just come from a somewhat taxing battle, and we have some things we need to secure before they fall into the wrong hands.”

Regina had been studying the pair the entire time, and it seemed clear she knew _something_ pretty serious was going on. “I can help with that,” Regina offered. “And…if you’d like, you and the pirate and Henry can stay with me tonight. I have plenty of room.”

“Why would you do that? I mean…I don’t want to inconvenience you,” Emma answered.

“It's just for the night. And I insist,” Regina said, and, stepping closer, added, “Besides…I think you and I need to talk.”

Emma’s eyebrows lowered and head tilted, wordlessly questioning exactly what Regina meant. Suddenly remembering the things that had happened before they left, Emma said, “Wait…the woman I brought back…I completely forgot. She has nowhere to stay!” Emma said, suddenly worried.

“What woman?” Henry asked.

“The woman Killian and I brought back from the Enchanted Forest.”

Henry and Regina exchanged confused looks and Henry said, “I didn’t see any woman, Mom.”

“Killian?” Emma asked, looking for confirmation that she hadn’t gone crazy, “you remember her.”

Hook nodded subtly but said, “We’ll worry with that tomorrow.”

“I can’t let her sleep in the street.”

Hook looked at Granny, handing her a few doubloons and asking, “If a woman comes, someone from our old word, will you give her my room and let her know we’ll get her acclimated tomorrow?”

Granny nodded, “Sure.”

“Problem solved,” he said to Emma.

“I really think you should come home,” Mary Margaret said, stepping in.

Emma smiled at Mary Margaret and David. “The loft is too small for all of us. I need to find my own place. I’ll talk to both of you tomorrow. We have few things to take care of…and we have a _lot_ to talk about. For tonight, I think it’s best if we get this to a safe place,” Emma said, pointing at the chest that held the talisman.

“Okay, honey,” Mary Margaret said. “Come for breakfast, tomorrow, at the loft?”

Emma looked at the time, “Can we make it lunch?”

Mary Margaret’s face tilted, and it was obvious she could tell something was going on. “Are you okay? You look exhausted.”

“Because I am exhausted,” Emma said. “I promise, I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.”

As soon as Emma was done hugging her parents, Hook wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered, “Let’s get you somewhere to rest, love.”

David and Mary Margaret definitely noticed the way Hook seemed to be guarding Emma, and the tender way he kept his arm around her. More interestingly, perhaps, they also noticed that Emma didn’t seem to mind. She curled her arm around Hook’s waist, holding him close to her as they left.


	16. On Dry Land

Hook, Emma and Henry followed Regina as they walked down the street. While they went, Hook questioned Regina, “Where exactly do you think our talisman will be safe, and, secondly, why should we trust you with it?”

“Killian,” Emma warned, “we can trust her.”

“I’m not asking you to trust me, pirate,” Regina said before she waved her hand and the four of them appeared outside of her vault. “I’m giving you a place to store it, and Emma is going to protect it with her magic.”

“What’s to stop you from using your magic to cast a counter-spell so you can use it yourself or hand it over to whoever offers you the highest prize?” he asked.

Regina walked down into the vault, her three companions in tow. Once she and Emma were in the first open room in the vault, she put up a temporary magical wall separating her and Emma from Hook and Henry. As the two boys questioned the need for separation, Regina yelled, “Girl talk.”

“Thanks for offering to help,” Emma said to Regina, “and for the place to stay for the night. I need to start looking for my own place in the morning.”

“It’s not exactly altruistic,” Regina replied. “I wanted to talk to you. Alone. At first I wasn’t sure if it was the chest or you. But now that the chest is over there and you are here, I can tell…it’s definitely you.”

“What’s me?” Emma questioned.

“Where did you get all of this magic?”

“What do you mean?” Emma asked, trying to avoid the question.

“This is one thing you can’t hide from me,” Regina interrupted. “I’ve never felt so much magic coming from one person. You’ve always been powerful, but this… Is this from Zelena? Did you somehow absorb her powers?”

Emma shook her head. In her mind, so much time had passed, and Zelena seemed like a distant memory. “No. It’s not Zelena.”

“Then what is it?” Regina’s tone demanded. “No offense, but you both look like hell. I’m not sure what you just went through, but whatever you’re up against must be a formidable enemy. Now, I may be willing to help you, but I deserve to know what I’m getting myself and our son into.”

Emma looked around to be sure no one else was with them and then she whispered, “You can’t tell anyone. I want a chance to tell Henry and my parents in my own way. And I’m not sure I want anyone else to know.”

“Of course.”

“I’m pregnant,” Emma whispered so quietly she scarcely made a sound.

“What?” Regina asked, completely shocked. She tilted her head, “And it’s his? The…pirate’s?”

“Killian,” Emma corrected. “Yea.”

“He doesn’t have magic, so I don’t know why his progeny would be this powerful. Even your magic isn’t really inherited, yours is the result of true love.”

“Well…that’s the thing. From what we were told, these children are the product of the true love of two saviors and—“

“Hook? _Captain_ _Hook_ …is a saviour?”

“In the place where we just were…yea. He is. You of all people should be able to see that change is possible. He has changed, Regina. Or maybe he hasn't really changed as much as…found himself. He is a good man. Where we just came from, he was their hero. Their saviour. And he’s helped us out enough times to be considered a hero to Storybrooke, too. He traded his ship to come back and get me in New York. That’s certainly heroic.”

“Although I’d suspect he traded his ship to get to you, and not necessarily for the chance to be heroic.”

“Even if that’s true, it’s certainly proof of true love.”

Regina responded, cautiously, “Alright. This is definitely unexpected. Typically this amount of power doesn’t just appear overnight. It has to grow.”

“We’ve been gone for _months_ ,” Emma argued. “All I know is, after we came back through Zelena’s time portal, one minute we were outside of Granny’s, and the next minute we were out at sea on Killian’s ship. We had no idea how we got there, or where we were. We were away for months. I don’t know if somehow someone suspended time here, or if we went through another time portal to come back, but what seemed like minutes to you was months to us. The last time you saw me, I wasn’t pregnant. Now I’m probably two or three months along…I think. I’m still not exactly sure when it happened.”

“You’ve been gone _where_?”

“A whole different realm. My magic definitely grew stronger while I was there, even before I was pregnant. When I got my magic back from Zelena, I think…I think I could feel the change in me, it helped me _notice_ my magic. But that was a small change compared to this. We found out about this whole other land and a different curse, and then I was pregnant, and suddenly I wasn’t just a little more powerful, it was like magic was all through me.”

“I can see that,” Regina said.

“This shadow, it wants them. It wants to absorb their power.”

“Wait…did you say _them_?”

“There is a prophecy that said we will have twins,” Emma answered. “I’m not sure if we changed the future or not. The shadow seemed to think it was still twins.”

“May I?” Regina asked.

Emma nodded. Regina closed her eyes and focused, and the room started to fill with the sound of one heartbeat, and then another, the two hearts beating perfectly as one.

Regina acknowledged, “There are definitely two babies. And with that amount of power, the shadow won’t be the only one interested in the three of you.”

“Well, the original prophecy also stated that one of the twins would die.”

“What?” Regina asked, her eyes filling with compassion. There was no denying Regina’s soft spot for children.

“The original prophecy said that the shadow would succeed in taking one of the children, a boy, before we are able to stop him,” Emma said, fighting back the emotional deluge that even speaking those words brought on. “Anyway, we were told that this talisman might help us defeat the shadow, hopefully before he gets near these babies.”

Regina nodded with certainty, “I’ll help.”

She dropped the barrier between the room and the hall, and Hook and Henry stepped through. “What was that all about?” Hook asked.

“We needed a moment to talk,” Regina answered. “Now, tell me what you know about this talisman.”

Hook opened the lid, showing it to Regina, “The shadow wanted it to increase his power. We were told that it could help us defeat him, but I’m not sure how.”

“May I?” she asked.

Hook looked at Emma, and when she nodded, he held out the chest to Regina. She lifted the talisman and held it in her hands. “It is very powerful, but I’ve never seen anything like this before. Where does it come from?”

“This other world we were in,” Emma answered.

“We couldn’t place our exact location from the skies,” Hook answered. “It seemed to be a place in between all of the known worlds.”

Regina handed it back to Hook and said, “You can store it here. Emma can cast a spell to protect it, even from me. We’ll have to research its origins to find out how to use it.”

“We could check the library,” Emma suggested.

“No,” Hook answered quickly. “Belle would know, which means the Crocodile would know.”

“I thought the two of you reached a cease fire,” Regina dryly said.

“Do _you_ trust him?” he asked.

“No,” Regina confessed. “I don’t.”

“He still hates me,” Hook stated. “And now that I have more to lose, he may see the opportunity to hurt me. And I think we all know how much he loves power, no matter what the cost. If he chose his power over his own son, I believe he’d choose power over _anything._ ”

“What do you mean you have more to lose?” Henry asked.

Hook lowered his head for a moment and answered, “I’ve not disguised the fact that I love your mother. He sees that as a weakness to be exploited.”

“Henry, I know this is a lot to handle,” Emma started.

“No,” Henry replied. “It’s not. He’s right…he hasn’t hidden how he feels. Everyone knows.”

“Look, I don’t mean to interrupt this conversation,” Regina interjected, “but I think we should get this talisman protected and Ms. Swan somewhere to rest. You look exhausted.”

Regina took the chest from Hook and put it in one of the alcoves in her vault. She guided Emma in a spell that cast a protection around the chest that glowed with every conceivable color before it disappeared. “Where’d it go?” Hook asked with panic, knowing all that they’d done to get it in the first place.

“It’s cloaked,” Regina assured him. “It’s right there. The best way to make sure something can’t be taken is to make sure it can’t be found in the first place.”

* * *

 As Emma showered at Regina’s later that night, Hook stood outside of the bathroom door with his hand on his enchanted sword in case something attacked. He knew Emma and Henry had talked while he bathed and tried to clean up the numerous wounds covering his body. He wore a pair of pajama pants and a tee shirt that Regina had loaned him, which made the belt that he wore to hold his sheathed sword look ridiculous as it hung on his hips, but he was ready for a fight.

Regina approached, preparing a snide remark, but when she saw the concern in his eyes, she could see her own worries, and remembered distinctly how it had felt to lose Daniel and even Henry, and she understood what Hook was trying to protect. “Having trouble adjusting to civilian life, pirate?” she asked with a polite smile.

“I’m not sure when this shadow will come back,” he answered straightforwardly.

“So you’re going to give up sleeping and guard her around the clock?”

“Do you have a spell for that? Something to help me stay alert. What do you want in return?”

“There are some rules of nature I can’t bend. Or if can, it’s usually best not to. Magic comes at a price.” Regina stood across the hall from Hook and she added, “You know…it’s not exactly easy to get into this house. There are ways. It’s protected with blood magic, which meant Zelena or my mother could get in, but they’re no longer a threat. Other beings…they need to be invited. I have lots of enemies, so I’ve taken a lot of precautions. ”

“You think this shadow can’t get in?”

“I’m sure he can’t. Unless I invite him in.”

“He’s disguised himself before. I followed him right to the talisman. Almost delivered it to him," Hook admitted.

“We might want to consider a True Sight spell that will help you to see through disguises. As a precaution, I won’t invite anyone in tonight. You have my word. You can rest easy.”

He looked at the bathroom door and hesitated. “I’ll just wait here.”

“If that shadow wants to truly harness all of their potential power…he’ll have to wait until after they’re born. They’ll grow stronger each day. He’s not going to come for them prematurely,” Regina explained.

“Emma told you?”

“She did. I know it’s not much comfort, but Emma and those babies are safe…for now. Once they’re born, well…that’s when you’re going to have to be ready,” she said before she began to walk away.

“Regina?” he called at her until she turned back to him. “Thank you for your assistance. This shadow is…”

When he paused, she answered, “You’re welcome. I’m sure the two of you will defeat him. Nothing seems to stop her.”

After Regina left, Henry peered out of his room. “Hey,” he quietly said.

“Did I wake you?” Hook asked.

“No,” the young man answered as he emerged.

“So…,” Hook began, awkwardly searching for conversation. “Your mother missed you a great deal while we were gone.”

“You don’t have to be careful about what you say. Mom already told me what happened. She promised not to lie to me a long time ago, and she takes promises really seriously. She told me you were gone a long time, and there’s a new villain. And that she’s pregnant.”

For a moment, Hook remembered how close he’d been with Baelfire before that boy had learned about Hook’s relationship with Milah, and everything went wrong. Hook was determined not to make any such mistakes with Henry.

“Ah. Look, Henry, I’m sorry that so much has changed and you had no say in the matter. I’m sure I’m not the man you’d choose for your mother—“

Henry interrupted, “When my dad died, you were the one who really helped me. You told me things I never would have known about him. You gave me a piece of him that no one else really knew about. Maybe you were just doing that to make my mom happy, but it helped.”

“I did it for you. I suppose if it helped to win favor with your mother, I wouldn’t complain,” Hook smiled.

“No matter why you did it, I haven’t forgotten.”

“That’s good to know.”

“ _But_ I don’t need or want any guy trying to act like my father, so can we not do that? No offense.”

“None taken. I’m not trying to be your father. There’s only one man who’s had that privilege, and that’s as it should be. What I don’t want…is for us to be at odds. As far as I’m concerned, there are two conditions that make for powerful alliances. One is a mutual interest, and the other is a common enemy. This is why you can be allied with someone even if you hate them. We have a mutual interest, we both love your mother. We want to make sure she’s safe, hopefully even happy. We also have common enemies. Anyone who wants to hurt you or your mother is our enemy. So, for now, can we agree that we’re allies?”

“Definitely.”

“Good. Then we’ve come to a mutually understood arrangement.”

“This whole thing is definitely weird, but, just so you know, I don’t _hate_ you.”

“Wonderful. Because for now we’re allies, but someday, even though I don’t want to be your father, I do want us to be family.”

“Yea,” Henry smiled. He yawned and said, “I better go to bed. I hear you’re telling my grandparents all about this tomorrow.”

“Aye.”

“Good luck."

Hook added, “I know that Baelfire, Neal, was extremely proud of you. It’s easy to see why. You’re a fine young man, Henry.”

Hook thought for a moment that he’d crossed a line and said too much, because Henry’s expression was blank. Then a smile emerged that the boy couldn’t suppress. “Good night, Killian.”

“Night.”

After Henry was gone, Hook tapped his head back against the wall as he tried to stay awake. A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened and Emma looked at his attire and said, “This is a new look. Is this what all of the guys who want to vanquish evil while they sleep are wearing this year?”

Hook smiled but didn’t say anything as he followed Emma to her room. Regina sure knew how to live. In most ways, her mansion was more opulent than the castle they’d stayed in. Emma sunk into bed and then pulled back the covers to make space for Hook, but he sat in a chair across the room. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’ll be more alert if I stay here.”

“Killian, get into bed. I talked to Regina, I really think we’re safe for the next few months. We’re definitely safe for the night because she has locked this place down, magically speaking.”

“If something happens while I’m sleeping peacefully—“

“I know you’re worried,” she interrupted.

“I faced him, Swan. He’s pure evil. I’ve never looked into the eyes of something like that before, and I’ve faced the Dark One.”

“I know. But the Shadow is not coming tonight. And I don’t want to sleep without you. You’re so exhausted you can barely lift that sword.”

Hook smiled sleepily, stumbling over to the bed and sliding in next to her. No sooner had they gotten comfortable and they both fell asleep. It took seconds, the mere act of lying still in a warm, safe bed was enough to take their consciousness.

* * *

 

Emma woke several hours later to pee. Hook was lying next to her, his hand dangling off the side of the bed, still clutching the enchanted sword. When she returned from the bathroom, she carefully took the weapon, making sure not to wake him. She’d heard the conversation he’d had with Henry. She had been standing on the other side of the door, listening to the two of them. She thought back on the men that she’d dated, and, oddly enough, it was the notorious Captain Hook who was man who seemed like the best father she could find. She remembered when she first found out who he was, and thought it was so ridiculous that Captain Hook was real, too, and now he was the man she was going to have a family with. And she didn’t doubt that whatever the relationship between him and Henry was going to be, the bond was going to be strong.

But her mind was full of worry that night. She worried about the shadow, and the dangers that all three of her children might be exposed to. She worried about finding a safe place to live. She worried about the realities of being in a long term relationship with someone who was used to a life at sea in a very different land. This would likely be her first truly ‘long term’ relationship, as long as he wasn’t killed by something or someone. Men in her life had an uncanny habit of dying.

She wanted something long term with Killian, and her mind even pondered the possibility of lifelong implications before she forbade such considerations. They’d have to find their own life together, and the thought of taking her family to a place without magic in order to protect them didn’t exactly sound like a bad idea. She wondered if they could really find a place where they’d both be happy. She wondered if Killian would be the one man to survive the fate that seemed to befall all men in her life. And if he did want to find that place in the world with her and he did survive, she started to wonder if she was even capable of being in a lasting relationship.

There was a small, nagging part of her that worried that he’d somehow find her less attractive and more matriarchal now that she was pregnant. She didn’t want the love between them to obliterate the desire they shared, she wanted each to enhance the other. Since she'd found out she was pregnant, they went on this quest for the talisman, and that didn’t exactly provide them with a lot of alone time together, so it was hard to tell if he saw her differently.

Emma rationalized that hormones were messing with her, and circumstances had been busy and emotionally taxing, but still she couldn’t silence the anxieties in her head. They hadn’t even been together a year and they were already fighting for the lives of their unborn children. She wondered what kind of strain this would put on them. So there she was in the early hours, worrying about the safety of those she loved, fretting about the future, feeling oddly insecure about her desirability to a man who’d been attracted to her from the moment they’d met, and wondering about how their relationship would weather such a turbulent beginning.

She really wished his eyes would open. She wanted him to know what was going on in her mind. She wanted him to say something reassuringly certain and devoted like he so often did when she was unsure, but he was so deeply asleep that his slow breaths almost sounded like subtle snores.

When he moved a little and it was clear that he wasn’t sleeping quite as deeply, Emma hopped up, padded over to the door and locked it. She tossed off her clothes and slipped back into the bed next to him, but even the feeling of her naked next to him and the movement in their bed didn’t wake him. His hand was on his stomach, his whole body relaxed. He looked so vulnerable lying there, momentarily free of any of the worries that raced through her thoughts.

She thought of the perfect way to wake him up, a way to remind him of how sexy and sensual his girlfriend could be. She pulled back the covers, opening the tie at the top of his pants and loosening them until she exposed his sex. Kneeling by his side in their bed, she slowly started to kiss his cock. The fact that he wasn’t one of those men constantly trying to shove it in her face made her want to do things like this all the more. He seemed to love it every single time she’d taken him in her mouth, but he never requested such a thing.

She wanted to make sure he felt amazing when he finally opened his eyes. Moistening her lips, she moved along the side of his shaft, letting her full lips skim across his smooth skin. Then she lifted his cock, resting it against his belly and, beginning at the base, she licked up along the vein that ran under the sensitive underside of his length. As soon as she started, she felt him grow a little warmer, and with each swipe of her tongue or caress of her lips, his cock grew thicker and longer, lifting away from his body as he was being filled with arousal.

She massaged his thighs and lower stomach, and she could see his even breaths become more ragged. It wasn’t long before he was fully hard in front of her, his tip leaking droplets of fluid as what was desire had become all-out need. She could hear a moan in his chest as she wrapped her fingers tightly around his base and she plopped the plump head of his cock into her mouth and laved over the tip slowly with her tongue. His breathy groans grew louder, and she pressed one finger against his lips. She let his cock slip out of her mouth and she whispered, “Shh. You have to be quiet if you want me to keep going.”

He tilted his head back, now at least mostly awake as he seemed to hold his breath to try not to make a sound. His hand went to her face, his thumb brushing her cheek for a moment before his fingers weaved back through her hair. As she sucked her cheeks more tightly around him, he hissed and tipped back his head, and then decided that he was done being solely receptive.

She was kneeling at his side, so he reached one arm under her hips and lifted her lower body over his chest without interrupting what she was doing to him, guiding her knees to either side of his head. He wasted no time at all, knowing that he was already so close to finishing. He pushed his nose between her folds to open her before him, finding her already soaked with arousal. Her clit was swollen and pink, and so wet that his lips slid right around it. As he lapped at her beautiful sex, he reached his arms around her waist and held their bodies tightly together.

She started to moan softly, now trying to silence her own voice as well, and with each heavy gasp or almost silent moan, he could experience the vibrations all through his body. He reached for the back of her neck, feeling the way her head bobbed as she pleased him, and his fingers traced down her spine, his palm finally settling on her ass. His hand pressed down on her butt to push her sex against his face, his tongue swiping over her and dipping into her body in time with her own ministrations.

Her hips started to buck, thrusting against his face. She was so incredibly receptive to each attempt to bring her pleasure, and it made him never want to stop. But their peaks cascaded quickly as they often do when partners are so in love and lust. Both of their shouts came out in muffled sounds, and he buried his face between her legs in the hopes of masking any of the noises he might make. She didn’t cease her attention on him, even as her body pulsed in rapture. She didn’t stop until she’d lovingly drawn every last beat of his orgasm from him.

After it was clear that neither could take any more attention at that moment, Emma swung her legs off him and turned around. She lay on top of him, her head against his chest. His arms were around her body, holding her close, and he was already falling back to sleep. “Sorry I woke you up,” she said with a knowing smile.

“You can wake me any time you like,” he sighed with complete satisfaction.

He was almost asleep when she said, “I’m sorry this all happened so quickly for us.”

“What?” he asked, his eyes fluttering open.

“Kids. Curses. Threats of death. Conversations with my dad about your intentions,” she half-chuckled. "So much for the honeymoon phase of the this relationship."

“Oh,” he answered, his eyes closing again. “No need to be sorry. I’m not.”

“Not at all?” she asked as she placed her hand on his chest and balanced her chin on her hand so she could look at him.

His eyes opened again as he shook his head, “Exactly what do you think I should be disappointed about? After all, I’m an invited guest in the former-Evil Queen’s modern version of a castle, lying next to a beautiful woman with whom I’ve just shared a very enjoyable private moment. Not much I’d change about my current situation.”

“Well, we can’t crash here forever. I need to look for a place to live. Somewhere safe. Some place big enough for me and Henry and a nursery. And…you?”

“Is that question or a statement?”

“I mean…are you interested in that?”

He scratched his head as he thought, “Might make it hard for me to bring wenches aboard if we’re living in the same place.” She scowled when she noticed he was teasing. He suddenly looked more serious, and explained, “I want to be wherever you are. You can stop worrying about such things and learn to trust that what I want…is to be by your side. If my life, my future, can be with you, I’ll be perfectly happy sailing on dry land.”


	17. Pockets of Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Sorry this update took so long. It was a crazy week.

Emma could see how alluring having this type of power could be. When she started getting dressed in the morning, she wished she had a specific outfit from home and it appeared on her body. “Wow,” she said as she looked down, “magic can be quite a time saver.”

Hook looked up as he closed his boots, and a silly grin appeared on his face. “Perhaps later you might conjure a dress for me...like the one you wore in the Enchanted Forest.”

“Didn’t picture you as the dress-wearing type,” she wryly teased.

He shot a fake smile at the joke. “I should have been more specific… _you_ would be the one wearing it, but, in a sense, _I’d_ be the one to benefit.”

“So you’re into that whole traditional women-in-dresses thing?” she asked, curiously.

“I’m into any sort of attire you happen to find yourself in. Something just made me remember how good you looked in that dress the night you tried to seduce my other self.”

“I wasn’t trying to _seduce_ him, I was trying to _distract_ him. I was helping you hide from…yourself.”

“Oh,” he said doubtfully, still teasing, “helping me?! And maybe taking the opportunity to survey a man without any obligation?”

“I was willing to do what I had to do for the greater good,” she chuckled.

He wasn’t paying attention though. He was busy studying her body. She laughed at his distractedness as she felt his eyes all over her. “Killian, what’s gotten into you?”

“It’s not so much a question of what’s gotten in to _me_ as much as what’s gotten into _you_.” She waited with a look of befuddlement, so he approached, putting an arm around her and guiding her to a full length mirror that hung on the closet door. “See for yourself,” he said.

“Oh my god,” Emma nearly gasped as she looked at her reflection. She’d noticed her pants had felt a little tighter in recent days, but once she was wearing a tank top, she could see how her figure had changed. Her breasts were spilling out over her bra, filling her top, and she crossed her arms self-consciously. “If we wait a week or two, we won’t have to tell my parents anything because it’s going to be obvious.”

He took her wrists in his hook and hand and pulled her arms away from her body, “Oh, no, love…don’t hide.”

She smirked at his admiring expression, watching in the mirror as his hand slid up her torso and he instinctively licked his bottom lip.

“This is your fault,” she said with a faint smile while she leaned against him.

“It is indeed. And it seems I’m being amply _punished_. Although…” he said as his lip grazed her ear, “I seem to remember you being a rather willing participant in those actions. I’m not sure I should be required to shoulder _all_ of the blame.”

Her head leaned back against his shoulder as she lifted her hands in surrender and whispered, “Well…maybe I’m a tiny bit responsible,” she started, gasping slightly as he bumped her breast, “Gentle.”

“Not a word I’ve often heard you mutter,” he playfully recalled.

“Well, things are a little more sensitive lately.”

He turned her around so she was facing him, stepping her back against the wall as he nuzzled against her neck. “I can be exceedingly gentle. I’ll certainly do my very best to meet any needs the lady may—“

Hook was interrupted just as it seemed that the moment was falling into a predictable trajectory. The pair could hear the sound of Henry running down the stairs, talking to Regina.

Emma brushed her lips to Hook's, her hands running down his back to his hips as she said, “We better put this on hold.”

Hook nodded, stepping back, “Very well.”

Emma thought that it might be nice to have a bulky sweatshirt and one appeared on her. “That’ll help us avoid suspicion long enough.” As she was getting ready to leave, she stalled, “So you really are a fan of the dress and bustiere look?”

“I’m a fan of clothing that accentuates your figure. I like to look at you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Emma answered. She made it obvious that she was thinking something, and then said, “You know…I like to look, too.”

Feeling suddenly different, Hook looked down and realized his clothing had changed. He was wearing tight jeans and a tee shirt that clung to his body. He looked like he felt awkward for a moment and then opened his arms, turning around so she could see, saying cockily, “A man as striking as I am is used to being scrutinized. Like what you see?”

She started to giggle, nodding her head, “You’re lucky you have the looks to back up that ego.”

“Why thank you.”

“You want your old clothes back?”

He looked at himself in the mirror and raised an eyebrow in approval, “Actually I think I look quite good. I’ll give these a try. A jacket would be nice though. It is a bit…,” a shorter, fitted leather jacket appeared on him as he finished saying, “chilly.”

They went downstairs and found Henry and Regina researching on the computer based on the things they’d heard about the shadow. “Is there anything else you can tell me about where you were or what type of magic they were using?” Regina asked.

“Odalee…she was like a voodoo queen. I think. The symbols on her doors kind of reminded me of that,” Emma answered.

“What’s voodoo?”

“It’s… you know…voodoo.”

Regina rolled her eyes, “Well that explains a great deal.”

“I’m not sure how to describe it.”

“We’ll research it,” Henry answered. “I remember seeing it in movies.”

“We do have something else from that realm,” Hook said as he started to look for his satchel. “Did you see where I left my—“ without finishing the phrase his satchel hung from his hook, and he added, “found it!”

“The things I could do with power like that,” Regina mused.

“We have this,” Hook said, holding the orb that had guided them in his hand.

“A rock? How nice.”

“It’s not a rock,” Emma explained. “It lit up and actually flew around. It was our guide until we reached the castle.”

“Whose castle?” Regina asked.

“A queen. Raina,” Hook answered. “Ever heard of her?”

Regina shook her head, approaching Hook and taking the orb from his palm, “No. Gold might know. Maybe we can think of a way to ask him without mentioning your current…situation.”

“Not yet,” Emma pleaded. “Let’s see what else we can figure out before we raise any suspicions.”

“Very well,” Regina replied. Holding the orb out she said, “Try to use your magic on it. See if you can get it to work again.”

Emma held the orb and tried to concentrate. For a second, the orb seemed to twinkle, but then it dulled and remained still in her hand.

“Can I hold onto it?” Regina asked.

“Sure,” Emma answered. “We have to go talk to my parents. Henry, are you staying here?”

“Yea,” the boy answered. “Mom and I have some work to do.”

“We’ll meet up later,” Regina said before the two headed out.

* * *

When they arrived at the Charming loft, Mary Margaret was already smiling at the pair, although David appeared anxious. “You look different, Hook. You'll fit in more,” Mary Margaret said, grinning as he stood protectively by Emma’s side. It was obvious from Mary Margaret’s expression that she was hopeful that there was a romance brewing between her daughter and her companion.

As the adults tried to talk, they were repeatedly interrupted by an infant’s cries. Mary Margaret was walking around the loft, baby Neal in her arms, and he seemed to be inconsolable. David tried as well, and both were unable to comfort the baby. Emma offered to try to calm her little brother, but her parents insisted they’d be able to figure it out, and then, just as his cry became extremely shrill and distressed, he disappeared from David’s arms and landed in Emma’s. The moment the baby was in Emma’s arms, he stopped crying and began to coo, reaching his tiny hands toward his sister. “How did you do that?” David asked.

“Maybe he just wanted someone different to hold him,” Emma answered.

“I mean how did he suddenly appear in your arms? Was that magic?” her father asked.

“Yea, about that…my magic has kind of improved in the last few months while we were gone.”

“Maybe that’s why they took you there?” Mary Margaret hypothesized. “Like magic training camp. Wow, Emma, you’re great with him.”

“That’s not why we were taken there,” Emma said, swaying back and forth and looking down at the baby who was starting to fall asleep, but still smiling at her. “Odalee, the woman who was behind our little side trip, she was sort of playing matchmaker.”

“Matchmaker for who?” David asked.

Emma leaned her shoulder into Hook. “Us. In our original timeline, Killian and I became a couple, but when we went through Zelena’s time portal, we did something to mess up our future…we ruined our chances for…true love. Odalee wanted to put us back on track.”

“True love,” Mary Margaret affirmed excitedly. “Oh, Emma, if it’s true love, it can’t be ruined. True love will always find a way.”

“Why would an entire realm care about whether or not you and Hook…,” David started, shaking his head. “Are you sure _he_ didn’t work a deal with Gold to manipulate you and—“

“You think I’d work with the Crocodile? You think I’d do that to her?” Hook scoffed. “I hate to tell you, mate, but I didn’t have to resort to trickery to win Emma’s heart.”

Mary Margaret put a hand on David’s shoulder to calm and said, “Why was it important to this realm that you found each other?”

“Because our daughter is going to break their curse,” Emma answered.

“Your…daughter?” Mary Margaret asked. “So they think you’re going to have a child together?”

“Pretty sure they’re right,” Emma calmly said. “Since…I’m already pregnant. Killian and I are having a baby. Or, more accurately, twins.”

Mary Margaret rushed over, first hugging Emma as she reached over Neal, “That’s fantastic news. How do you feel? Are you happy?”

“I am,” Emma nodded. “It’s a lot. I’m sure it seems more sudden to you because we’ve been gone for so long.”

Mary Margaret turned to Hook, hugging him as well, “Congratulations! How do you feel about this?”

He looked stunned that Emma’s mother was hugging him. He gently patted her back in response, looking down at her and nodding, “I’m quite happy, actually.”

David was calmer than Emma had expected, but pensive. He finally looked at Hook and said, “Have you even thought about this practically? Where do you intend to raise a family? On a boat?”

“We’re looking for a place here,” Emma interjected.

“Will your children take your surname? My grandchildren will be little _Hooks_?”

Something shifted in Hook that day, and he truly started to feel he was _Killian_ again, not just to Emma, but to everyone. He replied with certainty, “My _name_ is Killian Jones, but I think you know that. Emma and I haven’t had the opportunity to discuss things like names. We’ve been too busy trying to save our children’s lives. Look, mate, I know you may not like the fact that I’m a pirate. You may not like my hook or some of my previous associations, or any number of things about me, but I’ve proven myself to the only person I need to prove myself to, and that’s Emma.”

“She’s my daughter,” David quietly said. “It’s my job to make sure she’s safe.”

“Well then, you should be relieved. Now you won’t have to do it alone. Like me or hate me, that is entirely up to you, but either way, you might as well get used to me. Because I’m not going to go away.”

David nodded dutifully, and it seemed like Killian was making progress with David for the time being. Mary Margaret asked, “You said you’re trying to save their lives? The babies? Who would want to kill them?”

Emma didn’t waste time, and immediately began to explain the shadow and Raina’s kingdom to her parents. David relaxed as they started to talk about a more comfortable topic: fighting evil. They talked about Odalee. They talked about prophecies and heroism in a land that neither David nor Mary Margaret had ever even heard of before. Emma told them about how she’d been knocked unconscious when they went to retrieve the talisman, and how Killian had guarded her and taken her toward safety until Odalee ultimately helped them to make their escape. She told them about the book, and how Killian was a saviour in this new land. She showed them how powerful her magic had become, and told them why she and the babies were in danger.

Killian showed David the enchanted sword, even allowing David to examine the weapon. The two men stood in the more open area of the loft, and as David asked questions about the battle that had been fought, Killian began to recount the fight for the talisman.

Emma and her mother watched the two men, and the way David seemed intensely interested in Killian’s retelling of his most recent battle. “I think your father is going to really like him,” Mary Margaret said, nodding at Emma, who was still holding the sleeping Neal. “Be patient. He just wants to protect you.”

“I know that. But I’m really good at taking care of myself. And this thing that I have, well, David needs to accept that maybe what Killian and I have is true love too…just as powerful and real as what you guys have.”

Mary Margaret was already excited and started pulling food from the fridge and setting it out on the kitchen island for everyone to eat while they strategized. “I’ve always hoped you’d find this. It’s scary though, isn’t it? Having someone already threatening the life of your babies?”

“Yea. It is.”

“Don’t you worry. We’ll figure out this shadow.”

“I know,” Emma answered as she watched her father and the father of her children interact.

“He looks…really good in those jeans,” Mary Margaret said admiringly.

Emma turned abruptly, admonishing, “Mom!”

“What? He does!” Mary Margaret admitted. “I’m happy for you,” she whispered. Shouting toward the men, she asked, “You guys wanna eat something?”

As they approached, David said, “So, Killian, you were part of His Majesty’s Navy? They taught you to fight? You wore a uniform, took orders, like any other sailor?”

“Aye,” Killian answered, “A long time ago, but true enough.”

“ _Killian_?” Mary Margaret quietly asked Emma, shocked to hear David referring to Hook by his true name.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” David said to Killian, “but I think Emma should stay here with us until we figure out what to do. More people to look out for her and make sure she’s safe.”

“I belong by her side, mate,” Killian replied. “I know you want to look out for her, but…”

“Agreed,” David admitted. “Which is why we’ll make room for you here, too. You could use the sofa, hopefully it’s just for a few weeks. At least until this shadow has been defeated. It’s safest for her, it’s safest for my grandchildren.”

Emma could see a look of concern in Killian’s eyes, and she interjected, “It’s too crowded here. We need to find a home. Some place with enough room for Henry and the twins. You guys deserve a chance to get settled in with your own infant.”

“Maybe we should consider going back home. Repairing the castle. There would be enough space there. We could hire guards, protect the whole family,” David suggested hopefully.

“I thought we decided we were staying here,” Mary Margaret said, “if there even is a way home.”

“I don’t want to go there,” Emma said. “If anything, maybe we should consider some place without magic again. Maybe that’s the way to protect them.”

“What about you?” David asked Killian. “Don’t you ever want to go back home?”

“Home is a complicated concept for some of us. I have no desire to return to the land where I was actually born. The place where I lived the most years was actually Neverland, and as I’m sure you know, I have no desire to go back there. As far as I’m concerned, the Jolly Roger was my home until quite recently.”

“Then where do you intend to settle?”             

A loud bang on the door sent into motion a series of activities that David would always remember. The moment the noise startled Killian, he turned, positioning himself between Emma and the door, enchanted sword in hand and all of his focus centered on whatever the threat might be. Emma reacted too, although more defensively, a white field surrounding the pair emanated from her. Those knee-jerk reactions, those simple defensive and protective actions that came without a single thought in world, seemed to provide proof for David of the real feelings shared by Emma and Killian.

The knocking came again, followed by Henry’s voice shouting, “Hey, guys? You home?”

The moment they realized there was no threat, Killian and Emma stood down, but Killian’s arm still went around Emma as they breathed a sigh of relief. David could see as plain as day just what Emma meant to the man.

When Henry managed to open the door with the key just a second later, he rushed in with printouts of talismans similar to the one his mother had brought back. Regina was behind him, and said, “The shadow is probably controlled by someone else. Someone who’s made of flesh and blood. All of those demons you described were controlled by him too. He likely controls the most powerful demon he’s been able to harness or maybe a collection of souls, into one shadow, like an extension of himself, a servant or minion to do his bidding in other worlds. This being, such a compilation of evil, is probably what the Captain faced.”

“You think a real man is controlling the shadow?” Killian asked.

“I’m almost certain, based on our research. But if he has all of these spirits, these demons, to protect him, he has a powerful army to contend with.”

“So how do we find him?” Emma asked.

“Well this is the interesting part,” Regina said with a smile, “Storybrooke might not be the only place in this world with a pocket of magic. Gold did a good job of hiding that from me. Or perhaps he didn’t know. But I think there might be a few other places.”

“Where?” Emma asked.

“New Orleans, maybe,” Henry answered. “At least we think.”

“You believe we can find this man and the shadow there?” Killian asked. “Perhaps we can destroy this thing before our children are even born.”

“If he’s not, I think we’ll find answers there. Perhaps a few of us can go check that out. Emma can wait here where she and the twins are safe. Killian, Regina and I can go,” David said. “That is…if it’s safe to cross the town line.”

“I believe it is. We’ll go find out,” Regina said.

“Killian isn’t going anywhere without me,” Emma said.

“Think of your children and what’s safest for them,” David replied.

“But we can protect him. The magic I have…he may need it. We stick together.”

“She’s just like her mother. You talk to her,” David said Killian. “Convince her she’s safest here.”

“Emma and I made an agreement,” Killian replied. “We’ve agreed to make any such decisions as team. We’ve also agreed to stick together.”

Emma replied. “I’m not helpless. If anything, I’m stronger than I was before.”

“That may be,” Regina answered, “but we won’t know for sure if there’s magic elsewhere until we go. I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to use magic to transport myself somewhere only to find out there’s no magic there and I can’t easily get back. Or it might even be a trap to get us somewhere far away from magic. I think it’s wise to be prepared with magical and non-magical weapons, but I wouldn’t rush in just yet. You need to know exactly how to use this talisman before you get there. You need to be ready for the battle in case you walk right into it.”

“I want to come,” Henry announced. When the room fell silent he protested, “Family sticks together, right?”

Emma worried immediately that he’d feel left out of a changing family, and that was one thing she did not want to happen. She wanted to be sure Henry didn’t feel pushed aside, while keeping him as safe as possible. “Let your mom and I talk about what we think is best and we’ll make a decision together,” Emma said.

“Until you find a new home, come back and stay with me,” Regina offered.

“Why are you so willing to play host?” David asked.

“If Henry’s going to spend time with them, he needs to be somewhere safe. And if this shadow is as strong as it sounds, it’s in all of our best interests to make sure Emma and the pirate succeed…before it’s too late. Something this interested in power isn’t going to stop until it gathers every last bit of magic it can find.”


	18. Plans

Mary Margaret took Emma and Killian to meet with Mother Superior. Snow had trusted the Blue Fairy with the safety of her own daughter as a baby, and the fairies were trusted friends of Snow and Charming, so she convinced the others that the fairies may have ideas about how to protect the twins as well as some clue about how to destroy the shadow.

The convent was bustling as it often was. Mother Superior smiled her approval at the expectant couple and offered any help she may be able to give. Although she was unfamiliar with this shadow, she wondered if it might be similar to Peter Pan’s shadow in Neverland. Emma listened as her mother and the Blue Fairy discussed protection strategies when she realized Killian had crossed the room to talk to Tinkerbell.

Emma was no longer paying attention to the words spoken near her as she was preoccupied by a conversation she couldn’t hear. Tink didn’t exactly fit in at the convent. She was wearing vibrant green clothing in a sea of navy blue. Her blond curls spilled over her shoulders as she didn’t wear the sensible head coverings of the nuns. She looked like a woman who was out of place at the convent, but didn’t exactly belong anywhere else either.

Tink didn’t initially look very happy to see Hook, but Emma could see the moment when he told the fairy the news. Tink smiled contentedly, touching Hook’s arm in congratulations. The fairy looked legitimately happy to hear the news. Then he quickly looked around to make sure he couldn’t be heard and said something else. Tink’s expression mirrored his seriousness as he explained. He handed Tink a small black bag. She clasped it in her hands protectively as she continued to listen. He reached into his jacket pocket and produced one gold coin, offering what appeared to be further, very specific, instructions. She clearly affirmed everything she was being told until Killian reached into his coat and grabbed another small black bag and tried to give it to her. She adamantly shook her head, pushing his hand and the black bag back at him. She held the other items close, offering what looked like one more congratulations before she disappeared.

Mother Superior left the room to continue her work. “You okay?” Mary Margaret asked Emma when they were alone.

“Yea. Fine. Why?” Emma replied.

“You aren’t worried about Hook and Tinkerbell? Are you? Because he seems far too in love with you to—“

“I’m not jealous. Or worried. I was just curious about what they were talking about. It seemed like he was trying to negotiate or buy something.”

“She’s a fairy, and where we’re from, asking fairies for items of protection or help is common practice. Maybe he feels more comfortable talking to her about this situation instead of Blue. They were both late arrivals in Storybrooke. Most of us had almost thirty years to get used to this world before we even knew we were from somewhere else. We had time to adjust. Or maybe he just wanted to share the news with a friend. They were both in Neverland for a long time, so they probably got to know each other pretty well.”

“I haven’t forgotten,” Emma answered.

“If he had feelings for her, he probably would have brought her along when he escaped Neverland.”

“I’m not jealous! I’m really not, I was just curious,” Emma whispered quickly as he approached.

“Blue Fairy have any ideas?” Killian asked, unaware of the discussion that Emma and Mary Margaret had been having.

“A few,” Mary Margaret replied. “She doesn’t know anything definite about the shadow though. She’s going to look into it. The fairies will work on protecting the babies.”

“Excellent.” Killian said before he answered his cell phone. When he hung up, he explained, “That was your boy. He found a few homes he wants us to look at when we’re done here.”

“Maybe we should put the house hunting on hold. It doesn’t seem like a good time,” Emma wondered.

“It will never be a good time. If you put it on hold for every threat, you’ll never find a place,” Mary Margaret said. “There’s always something, and you have to start preparing for these babies. Because they are going to be fine, and they’re gonna need a place to live.”

Tink came up unexpectedly. “Emma, I’m so happy for you both. Congratulations. Hook told me your news.”

“Thanks,” Emma answered.

“Take this,” Tink offered, holding out a necklace with what looked like an empty vial. “If you’re ever in danger and need my help, break this vial. I’ll alert the other fairies and we can come to your aid.”

“I will.”

“And try not to worry. We’ll sort out this whole mess with that shadow. You know, Blue was the one who secured your passage to this world.”

Emma nodded slowly, her heart sinking as she thought about her parents’ decision in a whole new light. “If you hear anyone talking about sending the babies through a portal to a different world, can you make it clear that that option is off the table?”

Tink nodded sympathetically and replied, “Of course.”

Killian earnestly said, “Thanks for all of your assistance, Tink.”

“I’ll talk to you soon then, Hook?”

"Certainly,” he answered before he left with Emma and Mary Margaret.

* * *

 

Emma and Killian met Henry at an apartment in town. It was newly redecorated but a little cramped, although only a short walk from the Charming loft. None of the trio liked the second gloomy apartment. The third apartment was a house near the beach. It wasn’t right next to the water, but it was on a hill, so the ocean could be seen from certain points on the property.

Emma and Henry checked out the bedrooms, discussing the possibilities for him and his future brother and sister. Henry decided to explore the basement while Emma went to find Killian, who had separated from them at some point.

The window in the master bedroom was open, and Emma leaned outside and finally saw Killian sitting on the slanted roof. His eyes were closed as he faced the sun, the breeze from the ocean wafting over him. She saw how happy he looked, finding a spot in Storybrooke that felt familiar and homey to him, and without another word, she knew which apartment they should choose.

She felt a sense of sadness that he’d given up so much. He was already living in a very unfamiliar world. She had lived much of her life alone, too, but now in Storybrooke, she was surrounded by family and friends. Although many people were beginning to warm up to him, some still regarded him as a villain who shouldn’t be trusted. Tinkerbell was probably the closest thing to an “old friend” that he had in this new world, but it wasn’t like they were really close. Gold was another person who’d known Killian for a long time, but Emma knew that wasn’t a relationship Killian cherished. Gold was a reminder of so many painful things. She also figured Smee was still somewhere in Storybrooke, but she certainly hadn’t seen him around lately.

At that point, he’d noticed she was there, and he looked at her, his eyes confessing that she’d caught him in a moment of personal luxury.

“You like it here?” she asked.

“If I close my eyes, it’s almost like being back at sea. I can feel the breeze, smell the salt in the air, be warmed by the sun…it has everything but the sway of the current.”

Emma carefully climbed out the window, accepting his hand when he held it out to her. She sat behind him, her legs on either side of his and her arms wrapped around his waist. Leaning her chin on his shoulder, she started to sway slightly from side to side. He closed his eyes again, lifting his face to the sun as he joked, “A man with a weaker stomach might actually get seasick.”

“You like this place, don’t you?”

“Indeed I do.”

“I like it here, too.”

“Farther from your parents…”

“Nothing in Storybrooke is really _far_ from anything else.”

“What does the boy think?”

“Henry?” Emma shouted down from the roof when she saw the boy wander out from the cellar and into the yard below.

Henry looked up. “Yea?”

“What do you think? You like this one?”

“I like the room in the attic. I could have my own space,” Henry subtly bargained.

Emma looked at Killian for confirmation and then replied, “It’s yours.”

“Then it’s okay with me.”

She turned to Killian and said, “Let’s go find the realtor.”

Once they went downstairs, the realtor was nowhere to be found. As they went to Emma’s car, a black Caddy rolled down the road, crackling the pebbles beneath its tires as it approached. Killian realized who it was and put a hand firmly on Henry’s shoulder, “Not a word to your grandfather about your future siblings for the time being, alright?”

Henry bobbed his head before the three turned their focus in the direction of Gold’s car. Belle got out, followed a second later by Gold. Belle warmly greeted everyone, but Gold approached less welcomingly. “Congratulations,” Emma said. “I hear the two of you got married.”

Belle took Gold’s hand and nodded, “Thank you. We’re very happy.”

“What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon?”

“I own this place,” Gold answered, his eyes darting over to Killian. “Typically I allow the realtor handle these things, but once I heard my own grandson might be living in one of my properties, I had to come out for myself. Are you interested in this place?”

“Yea,” Emma said. “I think we are. Maybe you’d consider selling it to us instead of renting it?”

Killian looked surprised, but knew Emma must have a reason to make such an offer, so he played along.

“I may consider it…for the right price,” Gold answered. “Captain, or as I don’t see ship around, perhaps it’s just _Hook_ now? Tell me, Hook, where is your vessel?”

“I don’t believe that’s any concern of yours,” Killian stoically answered.

“That may be, but I’m left to wonder how you intend to pay for your expenses? I’m not sure our sheriff would approve of your former methods of treasure _acquisition…_ for lack of a better term. I doubt there’s much treasure left in your coffers.”

“Why don’t you get to the point and tell us what it is that you want?” Killian insisted with a falsely pleasant smile.

Gold looked at the house and said, “I’d need twenty-thousand as a down payment…something to prove you’re truly interested in this property. Unless there’s something else of value you’d care to suggest as trade?”

“Like what?”

Gold stepped closer, sneering as he said, “Make me an offer.”

Killian could tell Gold was trying to pull information from him, so he didn’t answer yet, quietly considering his next move when Emma said, “I think we should stick with money. I have some savings and I’ll see what we can put together.”

Belle interrupted since she was fond of Emma, saying to Gold, “Darling, I think you could take half of that for a down payment. After all, you’re dealing with family.”

Gold didn’t like her intrusion on his deal, but capitulated, “Fine. Contact me when you have the money and we’ll negotiate a final price.”

Belle got into the car, but Gold paused after he opened the door but before he got in. Using a tone that Killian understood to be a veiled threat, Gold said, “What a lovely little _family_ you have here,” and then he got in his car and left.

Killian and Emma watched as Gold’s car pulled out of sight and Killian drew his hand across his face with worry. “Do you think he knows?” Emma asked.

“I didn’t say anything to anyone,” Henry defended.

“I’m sure you didn’t,” Killian replied. “I think he suspects that something is going on. More than that, I’m afraid he sees I have a new vulnerability. I fear I’ve put you both in danger.”

Emma said, reassuringly, “Don’t talk like that. He’s changed. He’s probably just suspicious because he knows something is going on, but he doesn’t know exactly what it is. He hates being out of the loop. We can deal with Gold.”

“Of course we can,” Killian said, forcing a smile.

“Killian, stop. Stop worrying. We can handle this. We need to get back though. I promised to watch Neal for Mom this afternoon,” Emma explained.

“What are you doing later, mate?” Killian asked Henry.

“I dunno. Nothing,” the boy answered.

“Care to work with me for a few hours?”

“Sure,” Henry answered, cautiously intrigued.

“What kind of work?” Emma asked.

“I thought we’d commandeer a vessel, swill some rum, sail down toward the yacht club due south of here and plunder enough to get the payment,” Killian matter-of-factly explained. Noting her wide-eyed expression of concern, he clarified, “That was a joke.”

“Good. Because you know you can’t just—“

“I know, love. Go watch your brother. Henry and I have work to do.”

* * *

 

Curiosity drove Emma crazy all afternoon. Neal was a model baby while in her care, so she had time to entertain all of the questions in her head. What had Killian requested from Tink? Emma was pretty sure it was more than just the vial Tink had given her. That seemed like a gift directly from Tink, and not really a reason for secrecy. Did Gold already know their secret? Was he a danger to her growing family? And what in the hell were Killian and Henry working on? She texted Henry a few times, and he was slow to answer but eventually replied without giving any real clues about what they were doing. Once Mary Margaret and David came home, they wanted to talk about everything that was going on, so when Emma finally left their loft, it was dark outside.

A text from Henry let her know that her guys were already done for the day and back at Regina’s. When Emma joined them, Henry was asleep in his room on top of the covers, so exhausted that he was oblivious to the world. Emma went in and folded his quilt over him so he wouldn’t be cold, smiling at the boy who was growing more quickly than she was prepared for. She pushed his hair back, kissed his forehead and crept out of the room.

Emma found Killian in their room. He looked tired and sweaty from a long day’s work, and she watched him for a moment before he realized she was there. Emma felt the sense of sadness and worry that descended upon him since the meeting with Gold. She felt Killian had assured her enough times that he was happy with the turns their lives had taken. He was happy they were together, excited about the prospect of having a family and even content to live in Storybrooke if it meant he could have this life they were building, but still these outside threats lurked, jeopardizing their happiness. She wished there was an easy solution for them.

Killian pulled off his new jacket, shirt and boots to get comfortable, and then he went to the dresser and disengaged his hook and started to remove all of the coverings from the end of his arm. Emma became acutely aware of the fact that he’d always hidden his damaged arm from her as much as possible. There was always a piece of linen or scarf or bandage that he kept on when everything else had been taken off.

He realized she was there just as he removed the tie and dressing that had covered the end of his arm. “Swan,” he said as he threw his shirt over his shoulders as casually as he could. “Regina went out. She seems to think I didn’t notice she’s consorting with the leader of that band of thieves. Henry did well today. He’s a good boy and a hard worker too. You’d have been proud. And—“

Realizing that Killian was uncomfortable, she came closer, and asked, “So you had a good day?”

“Definitely. Everything go alright with young Neal?”

“Yea. Fine. Look, I’m sorry about the run-in with Gold. I forgot he owns pretty much everything in this town.”

“It’s no trouble.”

“Well, I know you wanted to avoid any involvement from him. I’m sure it’s still hard for you.”

“He can’t take what I have,” Killian smiled. “I won’t allow it.”

“Neither will I. But seeing him must be a reminder of the past.”

“I’m focused on the future and not what he’s taken from me in the past. I've lived in the past long enough.”

Emma took his damaged arm and put the wrist on her hip as she also guided his hand to her other hip. She wanted to make it clear that she accepted him as he was without explicitly saying that. She rested her hands on his chest and asked, “Did he use magic to take your hand?”

Killian swallowed at the memory, but she was happy when he didn’t avoid the question and he answered, “A sword. He thought I was holding something he wanted. So he took it.”

“But you didn’t bleed to death? How is that possible?”

“He didn’t want me to die. He wouldn’t let my suffering end so easily. I suppose he used magic to make sure I lived. There wasn’t all that much blood, given the circumstances, and I was left to fight another day.”

“Whatever made him decide to let you live, thank god he did…I can’t even imagine a world without you anymore. Or maybe I just don’t want to imagine it.” She stepped him back until his knees hit the bed and he sat on the edge, looking up at her. She asked, “Do you still miss having your hand? I mean, you really decided to own the whole _hook_ thing, but…do you miss having it or are you so used to it that you don’t really notice anymore?”

“I miss it at times,” he answered, pulling her abruptly forward in his embrace.

“Which times?”

“Sometimes when I hold you,” he said, affectionately. “I wish I could touch you with both hands. I wish I could feel your body more completely when I’m making love to you.”

“I guess I can’t understand what that’s really like.”

After a moment, he placed his palm flat on the bed and said, “You could try it. We'll both agree…no hands.”

“No hands?”

“None,” he answered, leaning forward and popping the button on her jeans open with his teeth. As he pulled down her zipper in a similar fashion, he looked up at her, his eyes communicating his intentions.

“So I can’t use them at all?”

“You just can’t use them to touch me,” he said as he leaned up, moving closer like he was going to kiss her and pulling back just beyond her reach when she’d expected their lips to meet.

He continued, moving in just close enough to nearly touch or faintly brush her lips each time he came closer, and waiting for her to lean in to close the gap that remained. The game was frustrating her until she realized what he was doing. He was reclined, resting his upper body on his elbows. She was kneeling on the edge of the mattress, one knee between his thighs, her hands braced next to each of his hips. “I know what you’re doing,” she temptingly whispered before she nipped at his bottom lip.

He wiggled out of the shirt that was just draped over his shoulders, somewhat assertively capturing her lips in a searing kiss before he replied, “Then why fight it?”

Taking his cue, she pulled off her shirt and bra, tossing them behind her, and she leaned over his body, letting her breasts brush his stomach and chest as she slinked closer to him. Their skin met with hot, delightful promise, finally allowing the contact that had been too long withheld since the usual immediate contact between hands and bodies was disallowed. It was amazing how quickly she craved the touch that had been only momentarily forbidden. There it was, skin warm and soft, the hair that covered his chest brushing against her, her long blond hair spilling onto his torso, the friction at the places where their legs met. All of those touches were filled with promise and excitement, but the most connected feeling came as she lowered her body completely onto his, and they could feel the other’s heart pounding through their chests.

With her hands now resting on either side of his head, holding the sheet to remind her not to allow her fingers to wander, her tongue parted his lips as she deepened the kiss, and she could feel the firmness of his leg between hers. He bent his knee, bracing his foot on the bed so his thigh could nestle closer to her sex. When she first felt the pressure against her through her jeans, she rocked her hips down, grateful that something was finally touching her exactly where she needed to be touched. She actually rubbed her body against his thigh to soothe the desirous ache that was rampant within her.

She loathed her fucking jeans in that moment, wanting to feel the directness of his touch against her without the thin but un-ignorable barrier of fabric between them. She opened her eyes and saw him gazing up, his eyes glazed over with want as he watched her hovering over him. And then their pants were gone, the wish building inside her until magic removed the focus of her ire.

He lifted up off the mattress, sliding his leg against her and feeling the dampness of her sex against him. He lifted his knee high enough to push her forward, making her lose her balance and allowing her body to fall completely against his. Fueled by the strength of their desire, they ground their bodies against each other. He was so fucking hard, his cock pressing against her leg, and she wanted so badly to wrap her fingers around him and just touch him. She moved, straddling his body so her knees were on either side of his hips as she reminded herself again that she wasn’t to use her hands to touch him. It was almost impossibly difficult to resist, and she wondered if he felt that same kind of ache every time he couldn’t use his hand to touch her. She wondered if he longed for it _that_ much.

He lifted again, this time rolling her under him, his hips resting between her thighs. She dragged her toes up the back of his calves before she wrapped her legs around his waist. She felt the head of his cock as it slid along her slit, pausing at her opening as he demanded her focus. His hips pushed forward, his sex pressing into her body as she allowed him entrance. She wanted to tilt her head back, to be swept away by pleasure, but he watched as he buried himself in her inch by inch, and she couldn’t possibly look away.

His forearms cradled her head as their eyes met. He moved patiently, each time sinking slowly into her warmth, relishing each inch of pleasure and every pulse of her body when she’d tighten around him. As the pressure within him began to build, he smiled almost imperceptibly at her, all of the love that he had inside him could be seen in that one small expression as he began to pick up his pace. In that look she saw the truth: he craved this gentle moment. He wanted to be held, touched and understood, to find loving contact in a world that had been so very harsh and desolate for him. His life had been full of loss and loneliness, and this type of loving, connected touch had been in painfully short supply.

His wrists moved under her, tilting her pelvis up toward him, his hand _nearly_ touching her. He thrust into her, swiveling his hips each time he was completely inside her and watching as his efforts wrung the pleasure from her. She began to lift more ardently up to him, intentionally tightening her inner muscles around his sex. As her orgasm grew close, she felt this longing within that made her realize she’d probably never really have enough of him. Not being able to touch him made that all too clear. This feeling grew until her fingers slid around his sides and down over his ass so she could pull his body into hers, guiding him each time their bodies met. Her need surpassed the rules of this demonstration. She’d caved and used her hands, there was no point in fighting desire like this, but it still wasn’t enough. She kissed him, her lips demandingly seeking his, and as her orgasm hit, she moaned into his mouth, her gasps and quiet cries blowing softly against his lips. His pace quickened as he plunged into her a few more times, and he buried his face against her neck as he came.

When he finally used his hand, his fingers touched her chin, tilting her mouth to his for an appreciative kiss. He rolled onto his side, keeping his arm around her, not wanting to crush her under his tired weight. “You see how that can be rather frustrating? At least frustrating enough for you to break the rules of our little challenge,” he asked with a smile that was supposed to be cocky but just looked amorous.

Her fingers tightened around the back of his head, grabbing his hair to hold him still while her lips grazed his neck and jaw, finally moving to his mouth. She knew as she kissed him, once again freely using her hands, that she’d probably never vanquish every bit of pain from his soul or truly make him whole again, but she was going to try with both hands and a full heart.


	19. Midnight Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, Everyone!

Killian had heard Leroy talking about issues he had been having with his boat, so the pirate offered his expertise. The dwarfs decided pretty quickly that they liked this new side of Hook, and elected to enlist his help to rehab a larger old boat. The dwarfs had actually amassed a decent amount of savings during their time in Storybrooke. They’d mostly been committed to more-work-than-play lifestyles, so they offered Killian a decent sum of money for the work he was doing.

Killian had requested Henry’s help, and the boy seemed to be enjoying his time working and learning about ships each day. Every day that Henry chose to work with Killian, he received half of the day’s earnings. Killian was hoping to build a reputation and find enough work to help pay for a home for his family. After all, no one was going to pay him for fighting the shadow, and the town didn’t need any more sheriffs, even if he had wanted to be one. He and Henry were bonding as they worked together, and it gave them the chance to form their own relationship.

Henry seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his work with the man in his mother’s life. The boy had returned each of the last few days with a glow from being outdoors, a smile, newfound confidence and a sense of exhaustion. On their third day working on the boat, they invited Emma to see their progress. She was hesitant at first when she saw Henry hanging a few feet above deck on a contraption Killian had rigged to allow the boy to safely work amongst the masts. She was about to protest when her son used the pulley to lower himself and proudly began to show her the work he and Hook and done, and Emma saw how good this project really was for her son. While she took the tour, she briefly noticed that one of the nuns had paused to talk to Killian, but at the time, Emma hadn’t really thought much about it.

* * *

Late that night, after Emma and Henry were sleeping, Killian left Regina’s. The nun who’d stopped at the dock where he had been working delivered him a message. Tink completed the project he had asked for her help on, so he made arrangements to meet her outside of Granny’s at midnight. Emma had been sleepy in recent days as the first trimester of pregnancy sapped her energy, so it was easy for Killian to sneak off while she slept.

Tink was waiting for him outside of Granny’s, just as she was supposed to be. She gave Killian a small black bag that contained the object he’d come for. He looked at the contents and said, “Tink, it’s absolutely perfect. I –“

“What are the two of you doing, meeting here late at night?” Gold interrupted as he joined them.

“It doesn’t concern you, Crocodile,” Killian countered as he shoved the bag into his jacket.

“Perhaps it doesn’t…but it might interest Emma. This little late night rendezvous certainly looks a little suspicious. What do you think she would say if she knew you were meeting a fairy in secret late at night?”

“We have nothing to hide,” Tink interrupted. “There’s no scandal here.”

“Oh I’m _sure_ it’s all perfectly innocent,” Gold retorted with disbelief, “but…”

The lights around them began to crackle, and the clear, starry skies hazed over as the gentle breeze that had blown became a gale. As soon as Killian looked at Gold, he knew the Dark One wasn’t responsible for the disturbance around them. Gold, Tink and Killian began to look around for whatever was coming, and then everything went pitch black and deathly silent, like the calm before a storm. The winds died, the crackling stopped, and far at the end of the main street, one of the street lights flickered back to life.

They heard the crisp tap of hard-soled dress shoes on the road, accompanied by the thud of a staff on occasional steps. The footfalls echoed down the street as a tall, lean figure stepped into the light. As he came closer, lackadaisically approaching like he was on a Sunday afternoon stroll, each street light turned on while he walked past it, and then dimmed when he was no longer under its light.

“Who the hell are you?” Gold asked without any apparent fear, looking more annoyed by the disruption than concerned about the intentions of the intruder.

As the figure came closer, it was clear he was at least a foot taller than Killian. The figure had tanned skin and a toothy smile, and he was dressed in a tight suit that accentuated how tall and slender he was. The staff he carried had a purple globe at the top, and didn’t seem to be necessary to help him walk. Standing right next to Gold, the figure leaned down and grinned in his face. With a voice that was deep, powerful and smoky, the figure said, “Who…me? If you must know…I will be your end.”

Without another word, the figure raised his hands to the sky, and demonic shadows like the ones Killian and Emma had faced when they had retrieved their talisman lifted out of the shadows on the ground and began to slither through the air. Gold casually flicked away the first several, but the shadows swarmed around him with such speed and ferocity that he became overcome. Gold’s expression went from bored and confident to confused and terrified as he realized that whatever he was dealing with was more powerful than he had expected. There were just so many of them. And then he realized that somehow his powers had been temporarily lost, but he wasn’t sure how or why.

Once Gold was restrained, his face contorted with fright, the figure strutted over to Killian and said with sleazy charm, “Good evening, my friend. I’m pleased we finally have the opportunity to be formally introduced. Doctor Facilier, at your service.”

“What do you want?” Killian asked, his fingers wrapped around the hilt of the enchanted sword that he almost always had nearby.

“Now let’s not be impulsive. Before you go slicin’ and dicin’ things with that lovely little sword of yours, you should take a moment to consider the opportunity I am about to offer you. I think you and I may be able to help each other…come to a mutually beneficial partnership. After all, with all of your years on the high seas, I’m sure you understand the value of knowing which way the winds are blowing.”

Gold struggled harder, his face peering from behind a cloud of spirits so intense that it looked like he was covered in a thick black shroud.

“Come on,” Facilier tempted, “are you _really_ going to pretend like you haven’t dreamed of having him in this position. Helpless. Frightened. Weak.”

“But I know what you want from me,” Killian answered. “And nothing you can offer me will convince me to give it to you.”

“What is it you think I want?” Facilier smoothly asked. The tall, malicious man blew a powder at Tink and the fairy fell gently to the ground as if she’d fallen asleep.

“You want my children. And probably their mother.”

“So dramatic. As if there are a finite number of children.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Killian asked, tightening his hand on his sword again.

“I know what _you_ want…” Facilier said, waving a hand as a hazy image appeared. Killian saw himself with Emma as quick snapshots of a possible life flashed. There were images of Emma smiling and laughing, some of Killian sailing with Henry as Emma looked on while smaller children ran and played around them. “You want Emma for you own, am I right?”

“But I don’t need your help for that.”

“You have her for now, sure. But _keeping_ her is another problem entirely, isn’t it? Let’s look at this realistically. Gold…Rumpelstiltskin...won’t quit until he has what he wants. And what he wants is to make you suffer. And he wants power. If he can have both, well, all the better. Certain _associates_ of mine…well, they won’t quit until they have what they want either. You and Emma are going to spend every moment of your lives fighting these forces. And is that really any way to live? Sometimes it’s worth paying a small price upfront in order to secure a long, happy future. It’s like an investment.”

“What exactly are you offering?”

Facilier beckoned for a few of the spirits with a flick of his finger, and he loudly announced, “Get me Rumpelstiltskin’s dagger. Now,” and some of them scattered while the others kept Gold in their web. “Now, Captain, I can offer you peace of mind…a life without all of these pesky annoyances. I can end Rumpelstiltskin, give you the revenge you’ve always _truly_ wanted…dig deep, you know you still do. Or, if you prefer, I’ll give you his dagger. You can control him. You can make him spin gold, shine your shoes and wash your dirty clothes for all I care. And, friend, I don’t want _all_ of your children, no, no! I’m not nearly that selfish…just two. We both know, those little bundles of joy will never be safe, and you’re going to end up giving them to me anyway. If you do this now, you can start over sooner. You and Emma and that boy you seem to have taken under your wing…Henry…isn’t it? I’ll promise not to lay a finger on your lovely lady. You can comfort her after the _unexpected_ devastation of losing her babies. Be the man she needs. Or, I can make her forget they ever existed. I could get your boat back. The two of you have plenty of time. Have seven kids if you’d like. And live the life you’ve always wanted. She’s always wanted to run away from all of this…you can make her dreams come true, too.”

“I already have the life I’ve always wanted,” Killian angrily countered.

“I don’t think you really understand the power I have. I’m giving you a chance to benefit from this situation. Because I hate to tell you, mon ami…I’m going to get what I want whether you like it or not. But, you don’t know me, do you? And this is an awfully big decision to make without any time to think about it. So how about this…I’ll give you a present, a gift, just to show you what a great guy I am.”

“I don’t want anything from you.”

“Are you _sure_ about that?” Facilier asked, walking around Killian. “It could be our secret. I’m going to give you what you want, and you don’t even have to do anything. My demons will drag Rumpelstiltskin down to the netherworld, where they can torment him for the rest of his immortal days. You don’t have to do a thing. Now I know you have that sword. And me…well, I can’t even touch it. All you’d have to do is use that sword and you could free your archenemy. But why? I’m not asking you to hurt him yourself, you don’t have to lift a hook, you can simply do _nothing_. You watch while my demons overcome him, and believe me, they will, and let him receive the punishment he’s obviously earned. You’re blameless, innocent. But he…he won’t be a problem for you anymore. That evil little imp that has cast a dark pall over so much of your life will be a distant memory, and you can have the joy of knowing that he is _suffering_ for the rest of his life. You don’t have to do much right now. All that I’m asking…is for you to think about what I’ve told you. That’s not so much to ask, is it? A few thoughts, a few moments of your time…and in exchange, I will destroy the man who has brought you so much pain, finally give you the revenge you deserve. What do you say?”

Facilier held out his hand to wait for Killian to shake on the agreement. Killian looked at Gold, at the fear in the man’s eyes that made Gold seem like the man who’d been too cowardly to fight for his own wife. For so long Killian would have done anything to have his nemesis in such a position.

Facilier seemed to think that Killian was about to accept the deal, so he reached his long fingers toward the pirate and added, “No one would have to know…”

Killian turned to the much taller man and replied, “I would know.”

Just as he finished speaking the words, Killian grabbed the enchanted sword and began cutting through the demons who kept Gold trapped. Shrieks came from the spirits as they darted away, sinking into the shadows that lined the ground as Facilier screamed with rage, “You idiot! Do you have any idea what you’re up against? You don’t want me for an enemy.”

Gold dropped to the ground, weakened and weary, and Tink rose from her imposed slumber. Killian faced Facilier and said, “Hear me. You cannot have my children. Not any of them. Perhaps you are the one who does not know what he’s up against.”

“You’ll regret this,” Facilier said as his limbs seemed to vacillate between flesh and shadow before he disappeared.

Henry rushed to his grandfather’s side. Killian didn’t know when the boy had come, but when he saw Emma coming toward him, he realized Facilier had probably wanted her to witness the exchange. The evil man had probably hoped that Killian would have ridded the world of Gold on impulse, and that Emma would have seen the man she loved doing something she’d have trouble forgiving.

Henry helped his grandfather to his feet. Emma, eyes full of worry, asked Killian, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he replied.

Gold looked at Killian with a look of utter confusion and said, “Why did you refuse that opportunity? Why help me?”

Killian glanced at Henry before looking back to Gold and answering, “I didn’t do it for you.”

“I made no agreement, you made that decision on your own, so, technically, I owe you nothing,” Gold immediately argued.

Emma scowled at Gold and said, “Really? You can’t even say ‘thanks for saving my ass, Hook’?”

Gold brushed his suit and walked up to Killian and said, knowingly, “And then there’s the matter of your little secret.”

“Nothing is going on between Hook and me,” Tink defended.

“That wasn’t the secret I was speaking of,” Gold said before he looked over Emma and then said to Killian, “I heard your conversation with our visitor. Are you sure there’s nothing you’d care to tell me?”

“Leave them out of it,” Killian argued. “If you hate me, fine, direct your vengeance at me, but leave my family alone.”

“Why would that… _being…_ be so interested in your offspring?” Gold asked.

“They have magic,” Emma interjected. “A lot of it.”

“Belle and I got married recently, so I’ve been a bit preoccupied. Clearly I haven’t been paying enough attention to what’s going on around here,” Gold noted.

“He wants to consume their souls so he can absorb their power,” Emma continued.

Gold’s face wrinkled a little with disapproval and he shook his head. Belle rushed over, hearing bits of the story from onlookers and pulling Gold into her embrace. She was trying to take him home after the encounter, and succeeded in bringing him along for a few steps before he extricated his hand from hers and walked back over to Killian. “You protected me because of Henry?”

Killian agreed, “In part.”

“And because it’s what Bae would have wanted?”

“Perhaps,” Killian answered, although he looked away.

Gold began to leave again, but came back, “You understand you had your chance for real revenge, Captain? You won’t likely have such an opportunity again.”

“Not who I want to be.”

Gold carefully considered his answer for a few moments before he said, “No harm will befall your children at my behest. You have my word.”

“I thought you said you didn’t owe me?” Killian questioned.

“I don’t. This isn’t a deal, it’s not an exchange. It’s what I’m choosing to do, and I’m simply making you aware of it,” Gold said before he and Belle began the walk back home.

After the small crowd that had gathered dispersed, Killian, Emma and Henry walked back to Regina’s. Once they were standing in the foyer, Henry lunged at Killian and quickly hugged him. “Thank you,” the boy said, earnestly, pulling away as unexpectedly as he’d approached. As he went up the stairs, Henry added, “What you did tonight…my dad would have loved that.”

Killian leaned against the wall near the stairs, grabbing his flask and taking a drink while he tried to let go of the stress that still surged through him after the fight was over. “Guess we won’t have to go hunting for him…he’s here,” Killian began to comment.

As he lifted away from the wall, Emma thudded his chest with her fist, not violently, but enough to push him back against the wall, “Are you fucking nuts, Killian?”

“Perhaps a bit,” he smiled roguishly.

“No,” she argued loudly, “I’m not joking and I’m not playing around right now.”

Regina came to the top of the steps and asked, testily, “It’s late. I’m trying to sleep. Is everything okay?”

“Sorry,” Emma answered, putting a hand on Killian’s back and gesturing him out the back door. She paced a few times in the yard, clearly frustrated, and finally said, “I want to know what you’re thinking, meeting up with that man on your own. You didn’t tell me? I thought we agreed to make decisions like this together, to work as a team.”

“We did—,“ he started but she interrupted immediately.

“So why, Killian? Why did you decide to do this on your own? How many times do I have to tell you that I need you? I need you alive, with me. I cannot lose you.”

“It wasn’t my intention to meet him,” he explained. “I was as surprised by his presence as you were.”

Emma looked confused, shaking her head as she asked, “So you didn’t decide to go face him on your own?”

“Of course not, love. As we’ve agreed, we’re a team.”

She looked relieved and then more worried, “You didn’t leave a note, you didn’t tell anyone. You left alone. Henry noticed when you left and he woke me up and told me you were gone. He was worried. We were both worried. What if it went wrong and you didn’t come back?”

“I always come back,” he answered simply. “I've proven that to you."

“But what if you hadn’t? What if that…man…decided to direct his demons toward you instead of Gold? I never would have known what happened to you. I’m not sure how many ways I can tell you how much this family needs you. You know how I feel, but look at Henry. He already lost Neal, and he’s really bonding with you. He _likes_ you. You matter to him now. What do you think that would do to him if you disappeared without a trace just when he was really getting close to you?”

“My plans weren’t exactly risky. I’d assumed that you never would have noticed I was missing. But I came back. I’m here. I told you, I always do.”

“You may not have thought the situation was risky, Hook…but it was. Now that the shadow or Facilier or whatever he is, is here, everything we do is risky.” Killian took another swig from his flask, and she asked, “What _were_ you doing out there tonight?”

“When I was captaining my ship, certain things were easy to come by. Jewels, necklaces, gold…I could have given you things, gifts, treated you in the manner you deserve to be treated.”

“I don’t care about things like that.”

“Which is good, since I’m practically a pauper. I have no ship, I’m no longer pirating anyway, and I have little left to give you.”

“So…you’re taking a night job?” she guessed.

“No. I gathered a few things I still had and enlisted Tink’s help,” he explained as he dug into his pocket and produced the black bag that Tink had returned to him.

“Enlisted her help for what?”

“She’s a tinker,” he said as he loosened the tie around the bag and poked his hook through the opening. He removed something, but it was dark outside, so it was hard for Emma to see. Killian continued, “So I took a few of my possessions, and I asked her to use them to make this for you.”

He approached and held out his hook, dropping something small and cold in her hand. She held it up into the moonlight and gasped at the item’s beauty. It was a ring made of bright, polished gold. A clear bluish diamond was set in the center, and surrounded by smaller, faceted black gems that made the blue seem so much crisper and clearer. “It’s…it’s amazing. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” she admired.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said as he took the ring from her, and held it between his fingers. “Would you like to wear it?”

Emma nodded, holding out her hand while he slipped it on her finger. “Tinkerbell made this?”

“Aye. The gold comes from a coin I stole from the giant’s lair. It seemed fitting as that was our first adventure together. The black gems came from our time in Raina’s kingdom. I found them in the sand while we were exploring the jungle near the sea. I liked the look of them and they came from the place where you finally accepted our love. While we were back on the Jolly Roger, I gathered a few small items to bring with me. The blue diamond was one of those objects. I’ve had it for quite some time.”

“From your plundering days?” she asked, curiously.

“From those days, yes, but that item wasn’t stolen. It was given to me as a token of gratitude. It is beautiful, but that’s not the only reason I wanted you to have it. I showed someone some kindness at a time when I had little time for kindness. And that man, a good and decent man, is the man I want to be for you and our family.”

“What was the act of kindness?”

“The details are unimportant,” he said, hoping to let the topic die.

“You’re so cocky about so many things but you’re shy about this? Are you seriously not going to tell me?”

Killian reluctantly explained, “A few of Blackbeard’s crew kidnapped a girl. She was beautiful, very young, innocent. I heard her pleas for mercy. Those who’d kidnapped her were arguing over who would have the privilege of her company first and, while they were distracted, I kidnapped her, dressed as an ordinary sailor to disguise my identity, and returned her to her home.”

“ _Kidnapped_ her? You mean you _rescued_ her?” Emma smiled.

“I removed her from the situation. Taking advantage of a girl, especially one so young, is in horribly bad form. I couldn't allow it.”

“Why disguise yourself?”

“A pirate’s reputation is important, and I certainly didn’t want to be thought of as the type to be rescuing maidens. Anyway, her mother didn’t have much, but she insisted on giving me something to show her gratitude.”

“This diamond?”

“Precisely. I told her it was unnecessary, but she said that one day, when I had children of my own, I’d understand why she was so appreciative. Of course I left their house and went right back to my normal life as a pirate, that is, until you. Seemed fitting you should have it.”

“I love it,” she said while the fingers of her other hand touched the ring. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad,” he answered, pulling her into his arms.

They began to sway, almost like they were dancing to music in their heads. Her hand was against his chest, and she was looking at the gift he’d given her and she said, “I hate to change the subject, but this guy, Facilier, overwhelmed Gold… _Rumpelstiltskin_. This situation is dangerous. We really need to be careful. We need to find out how to defeat this guy…and sooner rather than later.”

“Agreed. Tomorrow we’ll apprise Regina of the situation.”

“I know you aren’t going to like this, but Gold knows about the babies now,” Emma said, hesitantly. “So maybe it’s time to ask him if he knows anything about this guy. And then we can involve Belle…have her check the library.”

“Alright,” Killian agreed. “But don’t harbor any misconceptions, the Crocodile still hates me. We haven’t made peace, he’s just agreed not to harm our children. That’s the extent of this accord. The man…is every bit as dangerous as he always was.”

“We’ll be careful. Okay? It’s time to pull out all of the stops. Facilier’s here, and we need to deal with him before it’s too late.”

“Alright, love. Tomorrow, we’ll talk to the Crocodile and his bride.”


	20. Common Enemy

The next morning, Killian, Emma, Henry, Regina, and Robin all marched down the street to Gold’s shop together. After telling Regina what had transpired the night before, they decided there was safety in numbers. Emma and Regina’s combined powers along with Killian and his enchanted sword and Robin’s bow skills would make them a formidable group, and they decided the safest place for Henry was with them.

When Emma tried to open Gold’s shop door, she was pushed back, and immediately the whole group was on edge, scanning the streets behind them for the presence of the newest evil in town.

“He cast a protection spell on his shop?” Emma asked.

“You know what that means?” Regina noted, showing hints of concern. “Gold’s actually worried about this guy.”

Henry reached for the door amidst the warnings of his caregivers, but the boy said, calmly, “Blood magic. Let me try.”

The boy easily opened the door and entered the shop alone. Everyone anxiously waited outside, and, a few moments later, they saw the protection spell fall so they could all enter. As soon as they were inside, Gold drew a line on the ground and cast the spell again.

Belle walked immediately up to Hook, holding his elbows in her hands in a partial hug and greeting him with one of the widest smiles he had ever seen. She enthusiastically said, “I know you and Rumple have had your differences in the past, but I saw the way you cut through those demons to free him, and I didn’t have the chance to thank you. So…thank you. Thank you for putting your differences aside to save the man that I love.”

She pulled him a little closer in a final hug, and Killian saw Gold glaring unhappily. Gold probably hated the idea of his woman anywhere near his nemesis, no matter how innocuous the circumstances seemed. For a moment, the pirate thought about how much fun it would be to wrap his arms around Belle and hug her in return, smirking over the woman’s shoulder as Gold squirmed, but he didn’t have time to mess with the Crocodile when so much was on the line. Killian knew, as much as he may not like it, they would fare better with Rumpelstiltskin on their side, and this wasn’t the time or place to throw accelerant on their mutual disdain. So Killian politely patted Belle’s back and said as they parted, “It seems the Crocodile and I have a common enemy.”

Gold griped, “What are you all doing here in my shop?”

“What do you know about Facilier?” Emma asked.

“You go first,” he suggested, craftily. “It seems that I’m the one who’s been kept in the dark. What do _you_ know about him? How long have you known he’s after your children?”

They gave him some background about Killian and Emma’s travels in a different realm, what they’d come to know about Facilier and the talisman they’d procured. As they finished, Gold asked, “Is there anything else that may be useful? Any little details?”

“We know he can overpower you,” Emma noted. “So if we want to defeat him, we need to find his weakness first. And fast.”

“He did get the better of me, but _he_ is not more powerful,” Gold defensively responded.

“It certainly seemed like he was,” Killian said.

Gold sneered, “Only because my magic was somehow disabled.”

“Like the bracelet the pirate tricked me into wearing?” Regina asked. “The one Greg and Tamara got from Pan?”

“Yes,” Gold answered, “like that. No matter how hard I tried to use my magic, I couldn’t.”

“Being able to shut off someone else’s magic is a pretty big advantage,” Emma suggested.

“This may be why _he_ is the one who is prophesized to defeat this shadow,” Gold said, glancing toward Hook. “If this being is able to immobilize magic, it puts Emma, Regina and myself at greater risk because our normal defenses are gone. The Captain does not possess magic, and in some ways that makes him less vulnerable to this particular threat.”

“So we need to figure out how he does it,” Regina suggested. “He didn’t put anything on you…no bracelet to bind your powers…or maybe squid ink?”

“None that I noticed, but he clearly used something.”

“And your powers are fine now?” Regina asked.

“As if they’d never been gone,” Gold replied.

“Anything else you can tell us?” Emma questioned.

“I think Facilier’s magic is sourced from outside forces,” Gold added.

“I don’t understand,” Emma said.

“Well, in the case of you and Regina, your magic comes from within. Cora and Zelena were the same. For some, magic is inherently present from birth, or,” he paused as he looked at Emma’s now slightly rounded tummy, “before birth, it seems. My dagger is the source of my power. I hold that power within me as long as the dagger is not controlled by anyone else. Almost anyone can wield a magical item. I think his power comes from outside, from the possession of an object or objects. That’s why he wants that talisman, he wants to possess whatever powers it holds. He wants to absorb the magic from your children or, more correctly, he wants one of his objects to absorb their magic. He put the Green Fairy to sleep with a powder, not his own magic or a spell he specifically cast. He didn’t actually restrain me, he used spirits, incalculable numbers of demons under his command, to confine me. Those aren’t necessarily his intrinsic powers. He’s like a puppet master for those spirits he controls.”

“Mother used hearts to control people,” Regina commented. “I’ve done that as well. It’s simple enough.”

“That’s a hell of a lot of hearts,” Emma answered.

“So we need to find the source of his power,” Regina said as she thought. Looking at Killian, she asked, “Did you see anything? An amulet, charm or talisman that he might have used?”

“He wore a strange adornment around his neck. It had various bones and teeth and who knows what else hanging from it,” Killian began. And then he remembered another detail and added more excitedly, “That staff he carried. It had a purple sphere on top…either a gem or stone.”

“Yes,” Gold agreed, “I saw that.”

“It may help if we can locate his base of operations,” Robin offered. “I’ll have my men scout the woods.”

“I’m not sure he’s that close,” Gold replied. “I believe he sent his minions to do his dirty work while he stayed at a safer distance.”

“Where do you think he is?” Regina questioned.

“Pan’s shadow could easily cross realms,” Robin stated. “Baelfire used that shadow to take him from our home to Neverland.”

“So he could actually be _anywhere?_ ” Emma asked with a jolt of panic. “He could be in any world and simply cross over whenever he wants?”

“If this shadow is similar to Pan’s,” Gold said with an almost unnoticeable shiver, “then yes. But, I don’t think that’s what we’re dealing with. I suspect this is an ordinary man, who has amassed magical items and is using their power. The shadow that the Captain battled for the talisman is a demonic force or forces under Facilier's control…controlled in the same way that he controlled all of those spirits last night.”

“If he’s so powerful already, then why does he want my brother and sister?” Henry asked. “Isn’t he strong enough?”

Gold gazed at the ground for a moment and then answered, “Power…can be a consuming addiction. It draws you away…lures you from those you love, convinces you that it is the only thing you need, makes you feel you’re nothing without it. It can lead you to do things that you wouldn’t ordinarily do.”

“But you fought it,” Henry said with certainty. “You defeated Pan, helped to save me…you did the right thing. So that means he can too.”

Gold smiled awkwardly, and it was clear that he knew power still called to him.

“Can you find Facilier?” Emma asked, breaking the silent tension.

“Do you have anything that belongs to him?” Gold asked, watching while everyone fumbled and eventually admitted they had nothing. “Well in that case, I can’t. But I’m guessing _you_ …can.”

“How do you expect me to find him?”

“Just standing here I can feel the increased magic in you, and you were powerful before,” Gold said, leading her to an ancient mirror. “You have an emotional investment in this whole situation. Now…draw on your feelings. Your anger, your fears…your love for your children. Once you can see him, you can look for clues to figure out where he is.”

Emma summoned her power and after a few moments, they saw an image of Facilier appear. He was relaxing in a high backed chair, one long leg draped over the arm. They could see the staff with the purple sphere on top of it, braced on the chair next to him. He was toying with one of the charms that hung from his necklace, and as they looked closer, they could see it was a small bone. His attention turned abruptly in the direction of those who were watching him, almost like he could sense an invisible camera pointing at him, and he looked directly into the lens. He dropped the bone that he’d held in his long, skinny fingers and leaned forward in his chair, gesturing with both hands open, palms up, at the area in front of him. The image zoomed out, and they could see he was drawing their attention to things on the floor in front of him. On either side of his chair, there were two small cradles. Gasps could be heard as they realized that both cradles were made of bone, and each had a tiny skull adorning the top like a macabre decoration. Facilier grinned, taking a moment to wave at his onlookers as he said, “As you can see, Daddy’s ready for his new babies.”

He chuckled chillingly before his laughter came to an abrupt halt and he wiped his hand in front of him, clouding the image with slinking dark spirits before it disappeared entirely.

The whole room was silent for a few moments as they all stared at the mirror where the vision had been. Killian had his arm wrapped tightly around Emma, and Henry stood supportively at her side. She was so stunned that she probably would have fallen had they not been there. As he gazed over the room, Killian saw the same look of disturbed shock, and he realized this particular enemy was reviled by everyone in the room. Regina and Robin looked on with sympathetic worry, and both Belle and Gold looked beyond disgusted with this new villain and his intentions.

Belle politely cleared her throat, trying to redirect everyone into constructively responding to this threat. “You said you have a talisman that you can use against him?” she asked, softly.

“Yea,” Emma replied, calming her nerves. “But we need to figure out how to use it.”

“Can I see it? I can do some research,” Belle offered.

Killian looked at Gold, hesitating to put something so powerful into Rumpelstiltskin’s hands, and Gold scoffed, “You have bigger problems than me, dearie.”

Henry dug in his jeans’ pocket and produced a wrinkled printout of the talisman that he and Regina had found when they had searched on the computer. “It looks like this,” he said as he gave the picture to Belle.

Emma joined them and pointed out a few differences in the images, but affirmed, “This is very similar.”

“Can I keep this?” Belle asked Henry.

“Sure. Anything to help,” Henry replied.

“Did anyone notice anything in that vision that may help us place the man’s whereabouts?” Regina asked.

“His lair looked like Odalee’s home,” Killian noted.

“It did,” Emma affirmed, “but there was something else…that music in the background. And a whistle. Did you hear it?”

“Some sort of pipe organ?” Belle asked.

“The music was unnervingly cheery,” Robin stated, “unlike anything I’ve heard in our homeland.”

“I think it was a steam organ,” Emma said. “Regina, you mentioned New Orleans as a place with a possible pocket of magic? They have steamboats there, and some of those steamboats have organs that sound like that.”

“Pockets of magic?” Gold huffed, “Wherever did you get an idea like that? This is a world without magic, Storybrooke aside.”

“I’ve heard some pretty compelling evidence to the contrary,” Regina countered. “You were the one who said you weren’t sure if he was nearby.”

“I didn’t mean hundreds of miles away.”

“Well, a lot of this magic sounds like exactly what you’ve been talking about. The magic is in rituals, spirits and items more than the sorts of innate magic that comes from our world. You brought magic to Storybrooke…maybe someone else brought it to New Orleans.”

Gold wavered, “I’m sure it’s possible. But whether or not it’s likely…”

“You have any other ideas?” Regina replied.

“Let me research,” Belle offered. “Can you give me a few days?”

Emma nodded, “Thanks, Belle.”

Gold’s eyes seemed to light up with the possibilities, and he said as he gazed at Emma, “If you really want to fight this threat, perhaps you’re interested in mentoring with someone who can really show you how to use magic.”

Regina stepped between them, directing Emma toward the door as she said to Gold, “Back off, Rumpelstiltskin. As a formal pupil, we both know it’s for the best if Emma avoids your particular course of study.”

“Suit yourselves,” Gold replied. Looking at Hook, he added, “Who would have thought _you’d_ produce such powerful progeny?”

“Perhaps the same people who’d thought I’d one day save you from an eternity trapped in some hell,” Killian ironically answered.

Emma interrupted before this relatively friendly conversation turned sour, “I think it’s time for us to get going.”

“I’ll be in touch soon,” Belle offered with a reassuring smile.

* * *

Killian, Emma and Henry went to the Charming loft to apprise David and Mary Margaret of all of the latest developments. They were exchanging pleasantries, and it only took a few seconds for Mary Margaret to notice something that brought her great joy. She smiled broadly at her daughter and rushed over to give Emma a huge hug. “I’m so happy for you!”

“You are?” a confused Emma asked.

“Oh, come on! When’s the big day?” Mary Margaret excitedly inquired.

Since Mary Margaret already knew of the pregnancy, Emma began to wonder if something was very wrong with her mother. Distractedly touching her belly, Emma answered, “We still don’t have a due date yet. We’ll have to set up an appointment for an ultrasound and hopefully they can tell us—“

“Not that, Emma. The wedding!” Mary Margaret exclaimed as she held up Emma’s hand and touched the ring Killian had given her.

“Oh, no,” Emma said, taking back her hand. “It’s not that kind of ring. It was a gift from Killian…that’s it.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I just assumed…,” Mary Margaret paused, looking on curiously as she tried to read Killian’s expression.

Emma turned toward him, noting that his face was completely blank, almost too blank. “Right? Killian?”

He paused for a few heartbeats’ time, and Mary Margaret pressed the issue, “Hook?”

He finally smiled and answered, “As the lady has stated.”

“Is everything alright?” Mary Margaret asked.

He answered, more like himself, “Apart from the fact that our latest enemy seems particularly hard to track down and defeat, and his goal is to destroy some things I hold near to my heart?”

“Right. Apart from that,” Mary Margaret replied. “So did Gold know anything?”

Emma, Killian and Henry explained what they’d learned at Gold’s shop to David and Mary Margaret. After most of the explanation was over, Henry offered to run to Granny’s to pick up lunch. Killian grabbed his sword and insisted on going along, stating that it was too much for Henry to carry alone, but everyone knew the truth: the streets of Storybrooke were too dangerous for the boy to walk alone, even in broad daylight.

As soon as Killian and Henry were gone and David went to attend to Neal, Mary Margaret didn’t waste any time. “Emma are you sure that isn’t an engagement ring?”

Emma half rolled her eyes, “It was a gift. Killian confirmed that.”

“No. He said, ‘As the lady has stated.’”

“I lost my Pirate-English dictionary, but I’m pretty sure that means that he agrees with what I said,” Emma countered.

“No,” Mary Margaret shook her head. “It means he’s willing to let it mean whatever you want it to mean.”

“You’re reading too much into this.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. He’s mine, I’m his…we both understand that. And I didn’t hear any proposal.”

“Okay,” Mary Margaret paused, “Well, I’m not well versed in the customs of pirates. They don’t tend to be the types of men to settle down. Let me ask you this…you chose to put it on that finger?”

“He chose, I guess. I’m sure it’s a symbol of love and commitment, we both feel that way. He asked if I wanted to wear it, I said I did, and then he put it on and…” Emma stalled, thinking, worrying just a little. “You don’t think that was his way of asking and he assumed it meant something, and then I told you in front of him that—“

“That it didn’t mean what he thought it meant?” Mary Margaret finished. “Wow…that would hurt.”

“I wasn’t trying to hurt him! Why wouldn’t he be more clear about it?”

“I dunno,” Mary Margaret said with a sympathetic smile, “because you have a history of running away and he is content with letting it mean whatever it is you’re willing to let it mean as long as it means he has you?”

“Or maybe _he_ was the one who was worried. Maybe he was scared I’d think it was an engagement ring when it wasn’t, and he didn’t want to hurt my feelings.”

Mary Margaret stared, blinking a few times and then saying, doubtfully, “Maybe.”

“Okay. So what do you think I should do?”

“Talk to him,” Mary Margaret said is if it were obvious.

“And say what? The whole ‘hey was this supposed to be an engagement ring or not’ conversation sounds pretty awkward.”

“Being with someone involves lots of awkward conversations. I’m sure you’ve had them before.”

“Of course.”

“Maybe before you talk to him, you should figure out what you _want_ it to mean. Do you want it to be an engagement ring?”

“I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it. We’re too busy surviving to be worried about details like that.”

“Emma, like it or not, this is your life. Villains and dangers will probably always be part of it. Being a saviour is a career. But your actual life…your family, your partner…those are the things that matter. And the course of true love…that’s not a detail.”

“Right now, my career involves destroying something that wants to destroy those things that matter. It’s kind of hard to separate work and home.”

“You’re right,” Mary Margaret answered with a forced smile.

“Why do I get the feeling you don’t approve?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think. I’m not pushing you. I’m just glad you found some happiness. You have Henry, you’re going to have two amazing babies and you found man who very clearly adores you. You and Hook can figure out the rest on your own.”

Henry and Killian returned with bags from Granny’s, ending Emma and Mary Margaret’s private conversation. As everyone was finding their order, Emma pulled Killian aside. “Hey…I didn’t say anything to hurt you earlier, did I?”

He shook his head, and looked at her with a little too much bravado, “Hurt, me? No, love, why would you ask that?”

“I don’t know. Mary Margaret seemed to think that—“

“This one’s yours, Mom,” Henry interrupted, bringing a bag to Emma. “And this one is yours,” the boy added, handing a bag to Killian.

The group went about its spirited discussion, but Emma was distracted. She really couldn’t tell what Killian had truly intended with the ring, and it kind of bothered her. She found herself hoping that she could read his thoughts, just for a minute. Practically, she knew being able to hear other people’s inner thoughts on a permanent basis could be a horrible burden, but she did want to know the answer to just this one question, and she found herself cautiously wishing that her magic would reveal the answer to her, and then admonishing herself for even thinking about using her powers like that. But the truth of his feelings on the matter didn't magically appear to her.

She decided to focus on their current quest, and wait for the right time to ask him about the ring. In the meanwhile, she’d keep an eye on him for clues.

The group began to discuss the possibility of travel and the fact that it would be dangerous to take a plane. If they wanted to fly, Killian wouldn’t be able to carry the sword on board with them. They needed another reliable, fast way to travel in case magic failed them and they couldn’t easily transport themselves back.

When they had a moment, Killian leaned closer to whisper to Emma, and she thought he was about to provide an answer to all of the questions in her head. He said, “I think we both know what we need to do.”

“What’s that?” she asked with a subtle, hopeful smirk.

“It’s time to find my ship.”

“Your ship?” This was not the answer she had expected from him.

“Safe, fast, reliable transportation…and we can carry any weapons we’d like,” he said. The excitement in his eyes at the thought of setting foot on the Jolly Roger again was obvious. When she didn’t seem as enthusiastic, he said, “You have another idea?”

“No, that’s great. I just thought…”

“You thought what?”

She shook her head, “Nothing. That’s great, in theory. But remember that vision and Odalee’s warning. If she wouldn’t have taken us away, you would have died going to look for your ship. I know we changed things, but it still seems risky.”

“Agreed. We need a plan. We have a few days while Belle does her research. We could try to figure out where it is and then perhaps decide on the best way to get it back?”

“I guess it couldn’t hurt to ask around.”

“I know just who to ask. Finish your meal, love. We’ve a ‘rat’ to trap.”


	21. Searching

Since there were no signs of Facilier or his shadows, Killian and Emma spent the next few days looking for Smee. Smee was always on the lookout for information or objects that he could use for money or leverage, and Killian thought his old first mate might have the most recent knowledge of the whereabouts of the Jolly Roger. Killian wasn’t even sure if she was in this realm. Smee was difficult to find though, and that was strange. Typically if he smelled an opportunity, he was immediately underfoot. A few days later, late in the afternoon, they found him attempting to steal the very boat Killian and Henry had been working on. Smee had just unmoored the vessel and turned around to find a hook placed precariously against his neck. “I didn’t think even _you_ were foolish enough to attempt to steal from me,” Killian said.

Smee quaked slightly, his eyes full of fear as he stuttered, “I-I-I…I thought this ship belonged to the dwarfs, Captain.”

“Doubtless you know I’ve been refurbishing her, and as I’ve spent a lot of time and effort, I feel a certain connection. I’ve seen you lurking about the docks. If you want to move around undetected, perhaps you should get rid of that hat. Now why have you been hiding from me?”

“Oh, not hiding, sir. Watching.”

“For what?”

“You really don’t know?” Smee asked, smiling faintly.

“Know what?”

“I have information you may find useful,” Smee sniveled, and then looked down at the hook, “but I find it difficult to concentrate at the point of your hook.”

Killian lowered his arm and gestured for Smee to continue. Rubbing his neck, the former rat glanced at Emma, studying the situation as an opportunistic glint flashed in his eye. Emma was definitely starting to show, especially because she was carrying twins and usually kept to her typical wardrobe. The man took notice and said, “It seems circumstances have changed, if I can be so bold as to make an assumption about your…relationship. Congratulations, sir. After what happened with Milah, well—“

Sensing that Smee’s congratulations were less than heartfelt, Killian interrupted, “Why don’t you keep your speculation about my life to yourself and answer the question.”

“Well, sir, it seems the stakes are higher for you. I thought you might be a bit more…motivated. That’s the only reason I mention this.” Smee smiled at Emma and said, “If I may offer you my congratulations as well, I’d—“

“What is it you want, Smee?” Killian interrupted again with less patience.

“Ideally…I’d like to get back to work. If anyone can take care of this problem, it would be you. I’d like to serve again as first mate, get back to what we do well. But I’m not sure if you’re ready to reprise your role as the most fearsome Captain the high seas have ever known.”

“Are you attempting to grovel by stating the obvious?”

“You always did see the truth, sir,” Smee continued. “Well, if you aren’t soon taking on another crew, all I’m really asking for is a token of your appreciation in exchange for the information I have to offer.”

Killian nodded like he understood, a smile that seemed to make him all the more a pirate crossing his lips as he offered, “I do have a prize for you, Smee. Something of incalculable value. Something that, once lost, can never be reclaimed.”

“I’m listening,” Smee said, hopefully.

The pirate’s smile dropped from his face and his expression grew stony and cold as he said, “Your life.”

“We’re in Storybrooke now,” Smee negotiated. “There are laws here and you’re standing next to the sheriff. You can’t threaten an innocent man out for an evening stroll.”

“Innocent man out for an evening stroll?” Emma asked. “That’s not how I remember it at all. I remember a man attempting to steal a boat from some of the citizens of this town. If I were to try to arrest you and you were to resist…well, Hook would do whatever he had to do to protect me.”

“It’s easy to see why I’m so taken with her,” Killian said to Smee. Lurching closer, he added, “Now…this information you’ve mentioned?”

Smee started answering quickly, “I’m assuming you want to find the Jolly Roger before Blackbeard does, sir, if you haven’t already. He survived after you made him walk the plank, but I’m assuming you know that as well. Should have taken him further out to sea. Rumor also says he knows for a fact that you parted with the Jolly Roger for a single magic bean. He said you really have gone too soft to remain a pirate, and the Jolly Roger rightfully belongs to him.”

“Do I look soft to you?"

“Well, no, sir. Of course not.”

“Desperate times called for desperate measures and negotiations had to be made. Where is she? What do you know?”

”I was hoping you had the ship already. That’s why I’ve been watching you, hoping to find out where you’re keeping her.”

“Clearly I don’t. Now do you have useful information or should I go find someone who does?”

“I know what I’ve heard. A few members of her former crew are here. They were sailing several weeks ago, and, the next thing they knew, the ship was gone, and the crew was in the water. Those who were able swam ashore, and found themselves here, in Storybrooke, and the Jolly Roger was nowhere to be found. Some sort of witchcraft or magic, they suspect. I was hoping you had something to do with that. I know how much she means to you.”

“Odalee,” Emma whispered.

“Where are these survivors?” Killian asked.

“I haven’t seen them for a few days. I believe some have left. They were a bit shaken since the incident. Some of the survivors fear that this power that took the ship may come after them. I could keep an eye out,” Smee offered.

“Do that.”

“They say the ship is cursed and death will fall upon any man who dares set foot on her.”

“Who says that?” Killian asked.

“Everyone,” Smee definitively replied.

Killian seemed satisfied with the interrogation, and Emma said, “Want him locked up?”

“What? Why?” Smee asked nervously. “I’ve told you all I know.”

“You _were_ trying to steal this boat,” she replied.

Killian answered, turning to Smee, “You can earn the right to stay out of the brig if you find me those crewmembers who were last on my ship.”

“Understood, sir. Thank you, sir,” Smee answered and hurried off.

Emma asked, “Do you really think the ship’s cursed?”

“No,” Killian answered without concern.

“How can you be sure?”

“Superstition is part of a life at sea, and pirates are perhaps the most superstitious of all. So that is exactly the tale I’d spread if I wanted to keep everyone away from her. She’s out there. All we have to do is find her.”

“Do you think Odalee was the power that took the ship? She had to take it from someone so she could put us on it to follow her little...quest.”

“Likely. And if so, there’s no need for us to fear whatever power seized the ship. It was all part of her plan,” Killian answered as he signaled for her to follow him below deck on the dwarfs' boat.

“We’re going to figure out where your ship is, and how to get it back,” she said as he descended below deck. She took a few steps down the ladder and said, “Why are we even here?”

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down so he could carry her. “I’m giving you the tour.”

“This is not your boat.”

“It may not be, but I have permission to be aboard, and I thought we’d take advantage of it. Pirates take what they want,” he said as he put her on her feet but maintained their closeness.

“Do they?” she chuckled at his overt playfulness. He braced his hand on the wall next to her head, keeping her in place. Seeing the look in his eye, she could figure out his intent, and she shook her head, “I don’t know what you think is going to happen here, but—“

He cut her off with an unexpectedly furtive kiss that ended suddenly as he said, “I know exactly what’s going to happen here.” He punctuated the following words with a brush of his lips against hers. “I’m spending a little private time with my betrothed.”

She started to kiss him again, but when she realized what he’d said, she pulled back enough to talk, “So it _was_ a proposal!” she practically yelled.

“Of course it was. But I think you know that.”

He didn’t look at all hurt, as she feared he would have been after their last discussion about possible engagement, so she asked, “Why are you smiling?”

“I know you, Swan. You panic. Repeatedly. Each time, as long as I’m patient, you always come around. You always seem to figure out I’m what you want. So I’m patiently waiting for you to decide it was a proposal.”

“You didn’t technically propose.”

“I had a ring made of things of value to me in one way or another. You knew what it was, and I asked if you wanted wear it…you’re not one to jump into things. Had you any misgivings, you would have pulled away when I offered you the ring. But you didn’t.”

“That’s what you think?"

“It is. I also think that, for you, saying ‘I love you’ was far more difficult than saying ‘I do’ would be. It’s not commitment you fear, Swan. It’s connection, admitting that I matter to you. You’ve accepted our connection, our love… The difficult part is done.”

“You think you know me so well?” she smirked flirtatiously.

“I know I do. Although I did have one other theory about your denial of an engagement.”

“What’s that?

“Perhaps you knew all along, but since you’re not a huge fan of convention, you wanted to be the one to propose,” he teased.

“Hey, I’d be clear about it.”

“How’s this for clear: Emma Swan, I want to marry you. I have waited for more years than I care to recollect to feel this way about a woman. So I’ll wait until you’re ready to accept this proposal. For now, that ring can mean whatever you want it to mean. And when you’re ready for it to mean what it truly means…tell me as much.”

She stared for a few moments, and said, “Who would have thought I’m into much, much, much older men with unconventional prosthetics?”

“I could have told you that a long a time ago,” he confidently grinned.

She cleared her throat and said, “I want to marry you. I accept.”

“Didn’t even have to wait all that long.”

Their lips touched, sealing the deal that they’d made. Emma was sort of overcome. The whole thing had been so casual. He accepted her as she was, with all of her quirks. He accepted how she’d pushed him away in the past, and he trusted that they’d be together. It was overwhelming. It was beautiful. It felt like a fairy tale, a story of love for the ages that her grandchildren would one day tell her great-grandchildren, maybe while reading their story in a book. She felt her ring as their fingers entwined, and she thought about the gift and what it meant, and she realized that the one gift she wanted to give him was his ship. She wanted to find a way to bring it to him so he didn’t have to go sailing off into unknown dangers. Her desire to give him something so valuable swelled in her to the point where she almost couldn’t take it.

He stepped back for a second, looking at her with a quizzical look and asking, “Did you hear that?”

There was a thudding against the side of the boat, like something was bumping against the hull. “Is someone knocking?”

“Takes something larger than a fist to make a sound like that,” he observed, unsheathing his sword and dashing toward the ladder.

Then they both heard someone yelling, “Hook! Are you in there?” so frantically that it seemed there was an emergency.

Belle was on deck with Leroy and the two were gaping, wide-eyed at something at sea. Killian turned and there, floating next to the dwarfs’ boat, was the Jolly Roger. “How in the hell…” he began.

Leroy declared, “It was like someone was dragging it here, right to this spot!”

“I saw it too,” Belle agreed. “It moved with ridiculous speed.”

Killian looked at Emma for an explanation and waited, and she finally said, “I was thinking it would make a nice engagement gift. Apparently I wanted to get it a little too much.”

“You did that with magic?” Leroy asked.

“I think so,” Emma answered.

“You have some powerful mojo, sister,” he replied.

“Looks like we have our transportation,” Killian noted, smiling fondly at his ship.

“Now all we need is a way to defeat Facilier,” Emma added.

“I think I can help with that,” Belle said as she came closer, holding out a book. “The concept is easy, although the execution may prove more difficult. Each of the talismans or objects he controls to become more powerful all become weaknesses. If you can locate and destroy one or two of these, you can temporarily weaken him. But I’m sure he keeps them hidden…so finding them might not be easy.”

“That’s a great start, but I think we need to do more than temporarily weaken him,” Emma replied.

“In order to render him powerless, you have to find his primary source of power and destroy it. If my research is correct, he has to keep that primary source close at hand.”

“Will that destroy the man?” Emma asked.

“It will strip him of his powers, but no,” Belle answered. “The man should remain.”

“Maybe once his power is gone, the man he once was can be dealt with.”

“What’s to stop him from doing this again? From finding new sources of power?” Killian asked. “I don’t know if that will guarantee the safety of our children. He may pursue their power, and yours, to regain his strength.”

“Once he’s powerless, we’ll see what’s left. He may be completely different,” Emma reasoned.

“Or he may not,” Killian cautioned.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we need to update everyone else on what’s going on so we can figure out our strategy and spend the next few days preparing your ship for the journey. We need to be ready to go. I know it seems like we have time, but the clock is ticking,” Emma said as her hand went to her tummy.

“When are you due?” Belle asked.

“I’m still not sure. I should probably figure that out before we leave.”

“You know twins are often early. And this doesn’t exactly seem like an ordinary pregnancy,” Belle noted, gently.

“Killian? Does this sound like a good start to you?”

He eventually answered, “Henry and I can begin preparations tomorrow.”

“I’ll talk to Rumple. See if he has any other suggestions,” Belle offered.

“The dwarfs will be happy to help ready your ship,” Leroy offered.

“Much appreciated,” Killian answered.

Belle and Leroy left the docks, and Emma said, “Looks like we’re making some real progress. Don’t you think?”

Furrowing his brow for a second, he looked at her with determination and said, “I know you want to give everyone a chance, you want to bring them to proper justice. But I will do what I need to do to protect us and our family. And if that means destroying the man behind this monster, I will not hesitate. Hesitation can be the difference between survival and meeting the tip of a man’s blade or being dragged down into the netherworld. I need to know that you’re going to respect my decision if I need to make one in the heat of battle. I need you to trust me to do what’s best if it comes to that.”

“You don’t even have to question that,” she answered. “I wouldn’t agree to marry a man I didn’t trust. The most important thing to me is that our family is safe. And I know you will do the right thing to make sure that happens. I want you to do whatever it takes so, after Facilier is defeated, we can come home and get that house and have these babies _together_.”

Killian’s chest swelled a little at her affirmation and he tilted his head toward the Jolly Roger, “You did that…for me?”

“I guess so,” Emma chuckled. “Your floating engagement present.”

“Better give her a quick look over. Care to join me? Maybe cast a little protection spell on her to hide her from prying eyes?”

As soon as she nodded he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the edge of the dwarfs’ ship. He used a few yards of rope to pull the vessels closer together and then he climbed from one to the other. Putting his hand on his hip he declared, “See, love, there’s no curse on this ship. Just pirate tales and nonsense.”

He offered his hand to help her as she climbed over, and she said, “Good thing you were right about that, or we’d have another curse to deal with.”

“I wasn’t worried. Worst case, it was a real curse, and you’d have to break it. But…just in case…,” he suggested, pointing toward himself.

“You want curse insurance?” she giggled.

“I have to be more cautious, as everyone keeps reminding me, I’m about to be a father.”

“Can’t argue with that logic,” she dryly said before she closed the gap between them, smiled, and offered him the insurance he was looking for.

Behind them, the last gasps of the setting sun colored the ripples of the ocean before it disappeared over the horizon. The joy of love and new life had been constantly tinged by the darkness cast over them by Facilier and his demons, and the time had come to hunt down and destroy this threat that had hung over them. They were ready to step out from under this shadow.


	22. A Peek Within

Emma and Killian checked the Jolly Roger, finding that things were exactly as they’d left them when Odalee had sent them back to Storybrooke. Examining a shirt that she’d left on his bunk, Emma observed, “Looks like we really were there. I mean…part of me always wondered if it was a dream or an illusion.”

Stepping behind her, Killian’s hand slid over her stomach as he countered, “There seems to be ample evidence that our journey wasn’t an illusion.”

“True.”

His hook slid along the back of her neck, pulling her hair over to one side. His lips slipped across her ear as he whispered, “Not often we get a place all to ourselves anymore.”

“Everyone’s waiting for us at my parents’ loft.”

“Then I’m sure they won’t mind waiting a moment more,” he replied as his beard dragged down her shoulder and his fingers nimbly opened her jeans. They were sitting so low on her hips now, since she stubbornly refused buy new clothing.

“We don’t have time for this,” she said, although she leaned back against him and parted her thighs. Looking down, she watched his hand slip into her pants and his fingers reach under her panties and she leaned her head back and groaned, “God, I’m so fucking horny lately.”

“I’m not complaining,” he replied as he leaned against the table in his cabin and his arm wrapped around her to hold her body against his. “Relax, love. Give me a few moments and I’ll meet those needs you’re having.”

His fingers drifted down her slit, wiggling to part her tender folds, her eyes still focusing on the way his hand looked as it disappeared into her clothes. With the heel of his palm against her clit, his fingers pressed into her opening, feeling the erotic twitches of her body as she awaited him. She clenched her jaw shut as she started to moan, and he answered, “No one’s around. There’s no need for silence.”

She was so aroused by each touch that she didn’t have to intentionally make a sound, she simply stopped choking down her sighs of delight, and the moment her lips parted, she breathily moaned his name as she rocked her ass back against his groin. Their mutual arousal was equally erotic to each of them. He watched her face as she responded, instantly lost in the moment as worry and thought and caution slipped from her body as his fingers danced against her sex.

Rocking against the bulge in his pants, she wasn’t even trying to make him crazy, but her body was compelled to move as it did. She came fast and hard, her knees growing too weak to bear her own weight, but he held her up. Gravity pushed her down against his hand, the pressure sending orgasmic aftershocks through her body. As soon as she was able, she reached behind her back and opened his pants, immediately shoving her hands in, her fingers surrounding his thick, hard cock. He groaned out, surprised by the furtive attention she paid. Her hands were tight around him, quickly stroking as he shoved into her fists.

With great effort and the last of his focus, he hopped up on the table behind him and pulled her up onto his lap. Her hands were immediately on his erection, aiming the tip at her core as she sunk down onto him. After a moment to adjust to his girth, she started to rock in his lap as he leaned back and watched the beauty of her riding him, her hair cascading down over her spine as she tipped her head back. He sat up, wrapping one arm around her as the other braced against the table and he started lifting his hips, thrusting into her. They both threw themselves into their lovemaking, lost and delirious and fully as one.

* * *

 

The next afternoon, they went for Emma’s ultrasound. Killian studied the equipment around the room. Modern medicine tended to make him feel uncomfortable. He always felt ignorant in contexts like those because it was all so foreign and unfamiliar. The ultrasound technician came in, politely introducing herself as Sara and briefly explaining what she was about to do. Looking at Killian, she said, “First time dad?”

“Aye,” he answered, trying to look nonchalant.

“There’s nothing to worry about. This won’t harm the babies or the mother. I promise.”

“You’ll be able to tell how far along I am?” Emma asked.

“I should be able to tell with reasonable accuracy,” Sara replied as she readied Emma for the procedure. “And if they cooperate, we’ll be able to see a great deal. Depending on how far along you are and their positions, we may even be able to tell the gender.”

Sara began, and Killian watched with fascination as he asked, “Is it supposed to look like that?”

Emma nodded, her fingers loosely holding his, “Ultrasounds are always fuzzy like this, if that's what you mean.”

“I clearly see two fetuses,” Sara said, and then she grew worried, going back and forth on the image.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Emma asked nervously.

Sara evaluated as quickly as possible and said, “Everything’s okay so far. I was concerned because I only heard one heartbeat. But I can clearly tell there are two…they just beat at exactly the same time. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Sara took measurements and studied the images, carefully recording information as Killian and Emma tried to wait patiently for feedback.

Once the assessment was done, Sara said, “From what I can tell, you are sixteen to seventeen weeks along. I can also tell you, with about ninety-seven percent accuracy, that you are having one of each…one boy and one girl.”

“But are they healthy?” Emma asked.

“Emma, they are developing beautifully. Very strong hearts. I don’t see any cause for concern. You’re too late for a CVS test, but if you want to do an amnio…I can do that for you.”

“What’s that?” Killian asked. He watched as she explained the procedure, and he interrupted, “There is no bloody way I’m letting you stab at her with some spike. What if something or someone interrupts this and—“

“It’s okay, Killian,” Emma said, turning to Sara and adding, “I think we’ll pass on the test for now.”

Sara responded, “You have a few more weeks to decide. I don’t visually see anything that indicates any problems, you don’t have a family history of birth defects to the best of your knowledge, but I wanted to make you aware that it is available, ” Sara put the ultrasound probe back on Emma’s tummy and said, “Here’s their arms…can you see? They’re holding each other.”

Sara started to show them different body parts, the hands and feet, the positioning of each one, and once they were relatively certain everything was okay, they could enjoy just looking at their babies. Emma’s eyes were full of tears as an enamored smiled crossed her face. She looked up at Killian, and he looked stunned, but equally taken with these tiny beings they’d created. Tugging the bottom of his shirt, she whispered, “Our first look at our babies.”

His grip tightened on her hand and he answered, awed, “Indeed it is.”

Emma watched him as he studied the screen, and she thought she could see the moment when he began to truly love the tiny people growing inside her.

“Everything’s developing nicely,” Sara said as she finished up. “If you come back in a month, I can confirm the genders with a bit more certainty, but, as I said, I’m pretty sure it’s the best of both worlds: one of each.”

As they left, prepared to tell everyone about the appointment, Emma said to Killian, “You know…no one was going to dig an actual _spike_ into me.”

“I don’t think we can be too cautious. How can you be sure that woman in there wasn’t under Facilier’s control? I distinctly remember trusting that soldier who led us to the talisman, and it was that monster all along. So what if we gave them permission to do this test, and we’re trusting the wrong person?”

“He wants them alive,” she replied.

“That may be, but if he gets you in the right position, I don’t want to risk the chance that he’ll hurt you or attempt to take them before their time. I’m sure ideally he wants to wait, but if he senses we may be able to defeat him, it’s always possible we’d force his hand.”

“True.”

“We need to be careful about who we trust until this problem is dealt with.”

* * *

There were a few moments of excitement and celebration when they arrived at Regina’s and told everyone about the appointment, and then the conversation turned to more pressing matters. It was time to take the journey to New Orleans, and confront Facilier head on. Killian and Emma were obviously going, and although David and Mary Margaret really wanted to be there to help, the group agreed it was in the best interest of baby Neal and the people of Storybrooke if they stayed behind. Much to their surprise, Regina immediately offered to accompany them.

“We’ve shown before that if we combine our powers, we’re definitely a force to be reckoned with,” Regina rationalized. “If we have to find and destroy these talismans, my particular brand of magic may be especially useful.”

“Why put yourself at risk?” Killian asked.

“I can’t imagine how much it would hurt Henry if something were to happen to his brother and sister. He’s already become…quite attached. Emma, losing you would be devastating. Even you, pirate. Besides, as I’ve said before…Facilier knows we’re here. If he were to succeed, he won’t stop with your babies. He’ll be back. I’m sure he’d love to get his hands on my vault. He needs to be stopped.”

“What if we can’t figure out how he rendered Gold’s magic useless? You’d be defenseless,” Emma asked.

“I’ll be happy to provide additional support,” Robin offered. “I can teach Regina how to use a bow during the voyage so she has some manner of defense.”

“Or a gun,” Emma added. “I could show you how to use one.”

“According to what you’ve told me, Hook needs to be the one to destroy this Facilier,” Regina noted.

“Yea. That’s what the prophecy said. Likely because our magic will probably be useless against him,” Emma added.

“I had an idea about that,” Regina revealed with a glint in her eye. “I think Facilier can only block out magic that comes from people near him. The enchanted sword is magic, and doesn’t lose its power around him. It isn’t magic itself he stops, he stops the people who wield it, the source of the magic.”

“Makes sense,” Emma replied. “But how does that help us defeat him?”

“You and I may not be able to defeat him with magic, but what if we can protect the pirate from a safe distance. Either through some sort of talisman of our own or, if your magic is as strong as I think it is, it should work from afar. If we can find out the range of his powers, we may be able to provide support without him disabling our magic.”

“It’s possible, I guess.”

“It certainly is. We’ll have to do some testing from various distances. If we can find out the greatest distance your magic can reach, we can find a safe location to work from. I can use mirror magic so we can see what’s going on. Or if your magic needs a boost, I can provide that instead. Assuming, of course, that our magic will work there.”

“That could work,” Killian interjected hopefully. “If something should go wrong, you may be able to get me out of there.”

“Then it’s settled,” Regina answered. “Robin and I will accompany you.”

Emma asked, "Can you be ready to leave by tomorrow afternoon?"

"I think so," Regina nodded.

“Henry can stay with us,” David announced.

“No way,” Henry said, quickly coming down the white curved staircase.

“Were you eavesdropping?” Regina asked.

“Family sticks together,” Henry argued. “I want to help. Besides, I can’t think of any place that would be safer. I’ll have all of you around me.”

“We aren’t even sure if our magic will work there,” Emma argued.

“Even if it doesn’t, Mom, you were tough before you had magic. And Killian and Robin will be there. Let me come. Let me be part of this. I’m not a little kid anymore. They’re my brother and sister. Besides, I’ve learned a lot about sailing. Ask Killian. You might need me. What can I do to prove that I’m ready?”

“Your mom and I will talk about it,” Regina answered. “We need to be sure we can protect you.”

* * *

 

As Gold closed his shop for the night, he heard a thudding from outside. He could see Facilier leaning down and staring through the glass panes of the door. Gold lowered the protection spell over the shop, but before he could even open the door, the same black slinky spirits opened the door and made a path for the man who controlled them. Facilier stepped in, propping his hand on his cane and saying in his distinctly booming voice, “Good evening, friend.”

“You’re no friend of mine,” Gold replied, remaining behind the counter.

“Well, it seems I may have made a mistake the last time we met. I’m not perfect, but who is? You see, I miscalculated when I tried to strike a deal with that one-handed nemesis of yours. I thought he was a reasonable man, an intelligent man, a man who could recognize an opportunity. Sadly it seems he’s not the man he once was…but you…,” Facilier said as he stepped closer.

From behind the counter, Gold lifted a small sword and smirked at his visitor. “Before you come much closer, I should warn you. I don’t take threats lightly.”

Annoyance flashed across Facilier’s face before he forced a smile, “You won’t need that.”

“I just want to make it clear…the Captain isn’t the only one capable of striking back.”

“Where did you get that?”

“It’s none of your concern,” Gold answered.

“Then I suppose it’s best that we keep this visit amicable. I’ve decided that I approached the wrong man. I need someone with cunning and intelligence…someone who can see the bigger picture…and knows that sometimes difficult choices have to be made in order to succeed.”

“I’m also intelligent enough to know that I don’t want to deal with you. And flattery won’t work on me.”

“I know we got off on the wrong foot. But…even I deserve a second chance.”

Gold waved his hand through Facilier, and he watched the "man" disappear into black smoke at the places where his hand had waved, and then reform into the image of the visitor. “You didn’t even have the courage to come here yourself. You’re just a projection,” Gold argued.

“I’m a busy man. Plus I’m awfully fond of home. Now…back to my offer.”

“You’re too late. I already made a deal. I cannot do anything to harm those babies. I don’t break deals.”

“Well, you know as well as I do…the devil is in the details! Check the fine print, friend. You don’t have to hurt the _babies_. I won’t ask you to harm a single hair on their tiny newborn heads. What do you think?”

“I think…I don’t trust you. Get the hell out of my shop.”

“Hasty! You’re being awfully hasty! How about this. Think about it. Tomorrow at sunset, if you decide that a little alliance between the two most powerful beings on Earth is the right course of action…meet me at the well in the woods. You can bring your sword to level the playing field if that makes you feel better.”

“And if I refuse?”

“He who is not my friend is my enemy,” Facilier threatened. “I have associates looking for that dagger of yours. And I will get it. I’ll just have to decide if I want to control you…or if I want to take your power for myself.” He smiled broadly at Gold, his grin so wide that it looked like pure evil, and then Facilier tipped his hat and said, “Have a lovely evening. I’ll see you tomorrow at the well.”

He evaporated into black smoke. The door of Gold’s shop shot open, and the spirits swam through the air and out into the night.

“Were you talking to someone?” Belle asked as she walked in from the back room.

“Myself,” Gold answered stiffly, tightening his hand on the small sword. “Let’s get out of here.”


	23. Happy Moments

Belle had been watching Rumple all morning. He paced. He brooded. Something was not right. She asked a few times if something was bothering him, but each time he abruptly answered that there was nothing wrong. Late in the afternoon, she tossed her wrap over her shoulders and walked up to him. With a hand placed reassuringly on his arm, she said, “I know it’s hard for you. I know you’re still angry at Hook after all of these years.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Gold asked.

“Well, even if you don’t want to wish Hook and Emma luck…you should at least say goodbye to your only grandson.”

Gold looked up, sort of stunned by her words, and said, “Goodbye? To Henry? What on earth for?”

“Haven’t you heard? Henry’s going with them. Since Emma and Regina are both—“

He interrupted Belle as he abruptly stood, dashing behind the counter as quickly as he could and gathering a few things he had locked up. “When are they leaving?” he asked hurriedly.

“Shortly. I was going to the docks to wish them all well. What are you doing?”

“Henry shouldn’t be going with them. It’s not safe! Come on,” Gold said, picking up the last of his things and magically transporting the pair of them to the docks.

A small crowd had gathered to wish the heroes well. Gold cut through, going straight to Emma and saying, “You can’t possibly be considering taking the boy!”

“I don’t think that’s your decision,” Emma calmly answered. “Regina and I discussed it, and we think we’re doing what’s best. Facilier’s reach is pretty impressive. Henry isn’t necessarily safer from him here. That monster could show up here as soon as we’re gone.”

“I’ll protect him. Leave him in my care.”

“No offense, but Facilier has overpowered you before.”

“I wasn’t prepared when he showed up. Now I am.”

Emma rationalized, “I know Henry’s the last real connection you have to Neal, and I know that’s—“

“Don’t make this about my son,” Gold blurted out. “You want to take the son that you claim to love so much right into that monster’s lair?”

“Facilier can get to him just as easily here,” Regina said, coming in closer. We’re all in danger if we don’t stop him. You know that as well as I do…if he succeeds, he’s coming here next. He’s blinded by his lust for power. And I think you know just how powerful that desire can be.”

“Leave the boy here with me. I can protect him,” Gold argued.

“Our decision has been made,” Emma answered. “Henry is coming with us.”

Exasperated, Gold turned to Henry, “You don’t actually want to go along. Do you?”

“Of course I do,” Henry responded.

“Remember what your desire for heroics got you in Neverland?” Gold cautioned.

“I learned a lot in Neverland,” Henry somberly answered.

Gold guided Henry to the side as the older man sat on a bench. Reaching inside his coat, Gold grabbed a small sword, not much bigger than his dagger, and held it out to Henry. “If you insist on going…take this,” Gold offered. “Don’t go chasing danger but if it comes to you, this will protect you. It’s enchanted. Like the one Hook has. If Facilier sees you have it, it may be enough to convince him to back down.”

“Where’d you get that?” Regina asked.

“It’s a little something I’ve picked up since Facilier threatened me. I wanted to be prepared should he return.”

“Do you have anything else like that?” Emma asked.

“I’m not about to leave myself defenseless,” Gold strategically replied.

Disappointedly, Emma nodded, slinging an arm over Henry’s shoulders as they turned toward the ship. “Wait,” Gold called after them. He handed Emma a burlap sack that contained a few vials that hung from simple twine necklaces.

“What are these?” she asked.

“If you find the spirits under his control are overwhelming you, throw one on the ground and break it. It will repel those weaker spirits, but only for a short while. It likely won’t have any effect on Facilier, he’s much too powerful, but it will help with those other pests.”

“Thank you,” Emma sincerely replied, “Thank you for helping us.”

“I’m helping myself, dearie,” he responded. “You have no idea how much I’m depending on you all to succeed.”

“Is there something you aren’t telling us?” Regina asked. She’d known him for a very long time, and she knew when he was preoccupied.

Gold pressed his lips together in a thin line as he thought and finally answered, “If Facilier gets ahold of my dagger and absorbs all of its power, or worse, becomes the next Dark One…there isn’t a power in any world that will be able to stop him. He’ll walk through this town, soaking up your powers, Emma’s powers, anything you may have in that vault…once he has my dagger, the dominoes will all quickly fall. Stop him before that happens. Or you might as well give up all hope.”

Everyone was saying their goodbyes, and Killian was the last to board. Just as he was getting on the ship, Gold stopped him. “I’m assuming you have that talisman with you?” Gold asked.

Killian smiled knowingly, “Like I’m going to tell you where it is.”

“I don’t need to know where it is,” Gold sneered, obviously unhappy to be aiding his old enemy even though he depended on Killian’s success. “Belle told me you were planning on locating and destroying some of Facilier's lesser sources of power.”

“Aye. She said that would momentarily weaken him.”

“It would,” Gold replied. “Like cutting off an enemy’s finger, it would hurt him for a moment, stun him. But the weakened state won’t last.”

“I’ll have to move quickly then.”

“But finding these power sources won’t be easy. I’m sure he has them all well hidden and protected.”

“You have another plan?” Killian cautiously asked.

“If you were to happen to allow him access to a new source of power…he will be momentarily vulnerable while he absorbs its magic. You won’t have much time…it doesn’t take long. The more powerful the magic he’s absorbing, the longer it will take. But understand, once he’s done extracting its power, he will be that much more powerful. Of course, that new source of power will also become a new potential weakness, if you can destroy it after he absorbs its power. So you'll have two opportunities.”

Killian smiled suspiciously, “So you want me to walk in, hand the talisman to Facilier, and hope that you’re telling me the truth?”

“I am telling you the truth. The only way you’d fail is if you fail to destroy him while the opportunity lasts,” Gold countered.

“For all I know, you’ve aligned yourself with him, and this is a trap. Why should I believe you?”

Gold shrugged, “I suspect that if you have to resort to the solution I just gave you, it will be because you have no other choice. You saw what happened that night outside of Granny’s? Do you _really_ think I want him to succeed?”

Killian seemed unconvinced and replied, “That depends on what you stand to gain if he does.”

Gold sort of smiled, either unable or unwilling to argue the point, but he held out a bracelet, the same one he’d used on Pan and Pan, in turn, had used on him. “Take this. If you can get Facilier to put it on…it may be useful. Although I make no guarantees.” Killian reached out for it, but Gold pulled it back, warning, “And if anything happens to Henry, I _will_ have your heart.”

“I’ve already accepted that responsibility,” Killian countered, plucking the bracelet from Gold’s fingers, “with or without your threats.”

The confrontation momentarily fled from Gold’s expression. “Don’t fail,” he stated. Glancing over toward the spot where Emma and Henry waited on the deck of the Jolly Roger, he added, “If you do…there won’t be anything I can do to protect them.”

 

* * *

 

The five of them, Killian, Emma, Regina, Robin and Henry, set off on their journey southward. There was an initial air of excitement as they were prepared to defeat this threat. After they had been sailing for about an hour, Regina and Emma realized that their magic no longer worked, and they focused their energies on defenses that didn’t require magic. Henry proudly demonstrated and shared what he’d learned about sailing. Robin showed both Emma and Regina how to properly use a bow, and Emma showed them how to load and shoot handguns. This strange band of allies bonded as they sailed toward their destination, hoping that there was a pocket of magic in New Orleans. Emma hadn’t even realized how accustomed she’d become to having magic until it was gone, and she felt suddenly vulnerable.

During their whole first day’s travel and preparation, Regina had watched Hook and Emma with some fascination. She wasn’t sure if it was endearing or irritating that they still stared longingly at each other no matter what they were doing. The couple had been together for months, including the time that they’d been gone, and nothing seemed to dampen their mutual admiration. Regina remembered her mother’s belief that having a heart and people to love made a person weaker, but watching Emma and Hook together and their sheer determination to protect their family, Regina couldn’t help to wonder if that made them stronger. After all, Regina herself had been driven by her love for Henry time and again, and she was willing to do things for him that she never would have done for anyone else. And even though Robin and Roland were recent additions to her life, she was already feeling the same types of protective urges for them. Perhaps the ways that love made one vulnerable paled in comparison to the ways love made a person stronger.

So Regina watched while Emma was showing Hook some of the basics of her handgun. He was familiar with the older-style pistols of his own world, but she wanted him to know how to load her gun, use the safety and just become accustomed to the way it worked in case he needed something other than a sword. Regina watched the way the pair stood, the way they flirted even when sharing self-defense tips. Emma leaned closer, whispering something in Hook’s ear that made his neck flush and drew a playful smirk on his face. He looked around and the two were plotting something that had nothing to do with defeating a villain.

They were distracted when Robin and Henry called for Emma to join them. After Emma had left Hook’s side, Regina saw the way he looked as he watched his love walk away, and one thing was clear as day: Hook was happy. It wasn’t elusive, fictional happiness, it was real happiness, happiness that existed even though the world around them was far from perfect. He walked toward the helm to check their course, and Regina approached. “How’d you manage to do it?” she asked.

“Do what?” he wondered.

“Change the rules. I thought villains didn’t get happy endings. But here you are…and you look pretty happy to me.”

“What makes you think I was a villain,” he said, pausing from his surveillance momentarily to smirk at her.

Regina tilted her head disbelievingly and retorted, “Yes…and everyone was just being sarcastic when they called me the _Evil_ Queen.”

“I dunno…if evil can be made, then perhaps it can also be unmade. Look at you…I’d hardly consider you villainous now.”

“So what _are_ we? Heroes?”

He thought for a moment and answered, “We’re just…humans. We got a fresh start here in this world. You know as well as I, the situation is seldom so simple as good or bad. I think we’ve both done things that can be considered heroic in recent times, in spite of our pasts.”

“So do you think you have it? Do you think you’ve found your happy ending?”

“I’m not worried about that,” he answered without hesitation.

“What?” Regina countered, surprised by his answer. “You seem awfully happy for a man who doesn’t know if he’s found his happy ending.”

“Hopefully I’ve started on that path, but I’m not ready to skip ahead to the end just yet. Endings are great for stories, but not so much for those who are actually living the tales. I don’t want to race to that point. I want every single minute between now and then. I want all the little pieces of life, not just the finale. All of the things I’ve missed out on during these last centuries. I want to see my children make it into this world and see who they are, watch Henry as he becomes his own man. I want dinners and waking in the morning next to the woman I love. I want a hundred more adventures, big and small, with her at my side. If we skip on to the end, well, that means the fun is over.”

Regina smiled subtly and said, “So you think we’ve earned a few happy moments then?”

“Absolutely. Besides, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve met someone you’d like to share a few happy moments with.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Regina began, feigning ignorance before she gave up. “Fine. _Maybe_ I have.”

“Don’t hesitate…we’ve both seen firsthand how easily happiness can be ripped from our grasp. We might as well take it while we can.”

* * *

 

The Jolly Roger was a fast vessel, but the journey still took a few days. When they finally rounded the tip of Florida and sailed through the gulf toward Louisiana, everyone aboard was ready for the confrontation to come. The shore ahead was beautiful, with long bridges extending roads across the water and lights dotting the shores and flickering on the waves in the sea.

“There it is,” Emma stated.

“We need to figure out how to hide the ship while we go ashore and try to find Facilier,” Killian added. “Or have Henry drop us off and then take her back to sea. Probably not a good idea to leave the lad alone.”

“Do you think Facilier can be found under ‘Evil Villains’ in the yellow pages?” Emma wryly replied.

“This would be so much easier with magic,” Regina said, holding out one hand, palm up. And then, much to everyone’s surprise, a few sparks of fire grew and began to swirl.

“It’s true!” Emma said as she came closer, admiring the fireball Regina had conjured, “They have magic here!”

“So it seems,” Regina replied, a smile spreading across her lips.

“So can I come on shore?” Henry asked.

Emma and Regina exchanged glances and both nodded their agreement. “We’ll all stick together for now,” Emma answered.

Killian looked at Henry and said, “Help me search for a safe place to drop anchor. It’s time to ready the ship for our trip ashore.”

Regina added, “You find a spot and we’ll cloak and protect this thing. There’s a voodoo priest who wants our happy moments...and I’m not in the mood for sharing.”

 


	24. New Orleans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own any of these characters. The only thing I own is the journey I've decided to take them on. Thanks to all of those who've invented these "people"...they are so fun to play with.
> 
> Thanks, as always, to everyone who has taken the time to read this story.

After the Jolly Roger was safely hidden just off the coast, Regina used magic to transport everyone to the shore nearby. It was late at night, but the streets brimmed with activity. The group walked a short distance into the French Quarter, and there they began to see a few signs of voodoo. A quick look in the shops in the hopes of finding a lead left them wondering how many of the tales and trinkets they’d seen were for the benefit of tourists and how many were genuine expressions of magic.

They stepped down a side road, away from the noisy revelry of Bourbon Street. “Anyone see anything that may help us locate this fiend?” Robin asked.

Regina shook her head, “I can feel the magic here, but most of what we’re seeing seems more like cheap merchandise…fictional versions of what’s obviously all around us.”

“Take it from me,” Emma cautioned, “sometimes the things that seem fictional are real. I’m engaged to Captain Hook, and if you grew up where I grew up, you’d know how crazy that sounds.”

Regina countered, “This whole place is brimming with magic, but we’re not going to find Facilier at a souvenir shop. We need to dig beneath the surface.”

“What about the voodoo queen? Marie Laveau? Mom and I read about her when we were doing research. Maybe we should check out her mausoleum or some places like that,” Henry suggested. “Maybe we’ll find someone who knows Facilier.”

“Good idea, Henry,” Regina said proudly. “From everything I’ve read, that woman knew magic. It’s a good starting point.”

“Anything associated with her will be carefully guarded from intruders, especially at night. We’ll have to be careful,” Emma suggested.

It was well past dark, and any site associated with Marie Laveau did have plenty of security. The gang from Storybrooke wasn’t the only group interested in the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Most of the group was strategizing their next step when Emma realized Killian wasn’t part of the discussion anymore.

She searched through the crowd, which was still rather vibrant given the late hour, until she found him. He wasn’t really difficult to find. Although he’d mostly forgone his traditional clothing for more modern attire, he was wearing his long leather coat again, since it was large enough to hide his enchanted sword in a place that was still easily accessible. The long coat also had a place to hide his hook since he couldn’t really walk around the streets of New Orleans with that type of hook for a hand while carrying an enchanted sword.

He was walking toward the street corner, staring into the distance as if something had transfixed him. Emma jogged after him to see what had captured his attention. When she caught up, she said, “Hey. What’s wrong?”

“Wrong? Nothing,” he answered, looking at her briefly before nodding to a building across the street. “Care to stop for a drink?”

Emma was initially annoyed, wondering why in the hell it was so important for him to leave the group without a word to get a drink, but when she looked at the sign, a sense of déjà vu hit her with almost tangible force. “Is that the tavern? The one from while we were gone…where we met Louis and he took us to Odalee the first time? Because it looks very, very similar.”

“Looks the same to me as well. Perhaps a bit modernized, but that’s the place.”

“Oh my god.”

“I say we head in for a drink. If a tavern like this pointed us in the right direction in that realm, perhaps it will in this one as well.”

Regina, Robin and Henry caught up. “Let me guess,” Regina dryly stated, “rum break?”

“When we were taken from Granny’s that night…we met someone at a tavern that looked a lot like this. He took us to Odalee and she sent us on our journey. This is the best lead we’ve had so far, so I think it’s worth checking out,” Emma replied.

They all went into the tavern. It was still somewhat packed, with a bar at one end of the establishment and tables at the other side. A bartender was slinging drinks as fast as he was able and an overworked waitress carried trays that seemed to weigh more than she did to and from the dining area. When one of the larger tables opened up, Emma seized the spot. Henry seemed excited to be out at an hour when he’d usually be safely tucked in bed at home. They all ordered, deciding to take advantage of the break to eat and survey the place. Plus the food smelled so good. A lot of the patrons were eating breakfast, trying to sober up with eggs, bacon and coffee after a long night of partying. The best smell of all came from plain, powdered sugar-coated donuts. “Those donuts look good,” Henry mentioned.

“You mean the beignets?” the waitress inquired when she saw Henry looking hungrily at the table next to them. “Best ones you’ll find in town. You folks want a basket of them?”

“Sure,” Emma answered.

“You have about an hour before we start closing up,” the waitress mentioned as she grabbed a pen from behind her ear and took their orders.

When the waitress returned a few moments later and started to distribute the various plates of food, Emma looked at her name tag and said, “It’s Tiana? Right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the waitress answered.

“Have you lived here a long time?”

“All my life.”

“So what do you think about voodoo and all of the folklore here?”

“I think it brings in a lot of tourists,” Tiana chuckled.

“Do you believe in any of it?”

“I believe tourism is a wonderful industry. Thanks to all of the wonderful people who come visit this town, whether for the music, the food, swamp tours or to chase the voodoo queen, I’ll make enough money to open my own place someday.”

Noting the weariness in Tiana’s eyes, Emma asked, “You work a lot?”

“Every chance I can get.”

“So you think all of this voodoo stuff is nonsense…tourism aside?” Regina asked.

“If it gets me a good tip, I’ll believe whatever fairy tales you want...voodoo, big foot, you name it.” Tiana said with a friendly smile, teasing, “In fact, I’m really a princess just waiting for her handsome, wealthy prince to show up. I guess in the meanwhile, I’ll have to earn my own way.”

Emma smiled and tilted her head, “Stranger things have happened.”

Smiling again, Tiana said, “I’ll believe it when he darkens my doorstep. I don’t have a lot of time for fairy tales, princes or magical nonsense. But I do have time to grab you all refills, so I’ll be right back.”

The group kept talking amongst themselves as they ate. Killian and Emma looked for Louis or anyone else who seemed similar to someone they met while they were gone, but they didn’t see anyone. As they were finishing up their meal, they heard the bartender shouting for last call.

“I wish we could have a chance to talk to Odalee just one more time,” Emma said.

“How do you know Odalee?” Tiana questioned. She’d just returned to the table to deliver the bill.

“Oh…umm…” Emma began, but then fumbled.

“We met her on a journey earlier this year,” Killian answered.

“This year?” Tiana said doubtfully. “We must be thinking of different people.”

“You know her?” he inquired.

“I know of her, heard things. Stories from my mama mostly. She’s not widely known outside of the little community I live in. Marie Laveau and some more notorious names tend to interest the tourists. You said you _met_ her?”

“A few months ago,” Killian answered.

“Well, it must be a different lady. She’s been gone longer than that. Strange though, never heard of anyone else with that name,” Tiana said. “Can I get you folks anything else?”

“We’d love to hear about her,” Emma said.

“She was just a crazy old woman who lived in the bayou. Not much to tell.”

“Have you also heard tales of a man by the name of Facilier?” Robin asked.

Tiana quickly looked around for a moment before she leaned down and said, testily, “What do you want with him?”

“We merely wanted to know more about him,” Robin calmly answered.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from that man.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in ‘magical nonsense,’” Regina said, quoting back Tiana’s own words.

“I don’t,” Tiana stiffly answered. “But you don’t need magic to be evil. Some folks are just best to stay away from.”

“You’ve had run-ins with him?” Robin questioned.

“I know enough people who have,” Tiana answered. Recapturing her smile, she politely added, “If you’re interested in voodoo and local folklore, there are tons of tours that’ll tell you all about it.”

“We’re more interested in the folklore that isn’t on the tours,” Regina replied. “In fact, if you’re willing to give us a personal tour and share some of your stories, we’ll be happy to compensate you for your time.”

“I work too much to be chauffeuring around a bunch of tourists. No offense,” the waitress said before she took their money and went to the register to cash out the check.

“For someone who doesn’t believe in magic…she seemed really nervous about Facilier,” Emma noted.

“My thoughts exactly,” Regina agreed.

“She knows more than she’s letting on. We need to convince her to give us that tour.”

Tiana walked back over to them, looking around the table and saying, “It was nice meeting you. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

Another waitress came bustling up, pleading, “Ti…Ti…please??? Please can I have your shift tomorrow? I really _need_ the money.”

“I told you, I need it too,” Tiana replied, irritated with the other girl’s pleading, especially in front of customers.

“I think we can come up with a solution to suit all of our needs. You could give us that tour,” Regina suggested. “That way your friend can work your shift here, and you can make some easy money on the side. Everyone wins.”

“It’s a double shift on Saturday. That’s my best day,” Tiana countered.

“What do you usually make?” Regina asked.

“One-fifty…sometimes two-hundred. Depending.”

“We’ll pay two,” Emma offered, sensing that Tiana was somehow the key to finding what they needed to find.

Suspiciously, Tiana asked, “What exactly is it you all want me to show you that you’re willing to fork over two hundred dollars?”

“Nothing freaky,” Emma reassured her. “We just want to hear some of the stories that aren’t on the tours. About Odalee. Do you know where she lived?”

“Sure. Lots of kids used to go poking around there.”

“Maybe you could take us there?”

Tiana laughed, “You think you all are ready to go traipsing through swampland?”

“Absolutely.”

“Alright,” Tiana finally said, shaking her head as she obviously questioned their readiness. “But I get paid before we leave. And don’t try anything funny…I’m not afraid to defend myself.”

“You got it,” Emma said. “Do you want us to meet you at your house?”

“Hell no,” Tiana answered. “I’m not telling you all where I live. Outside here. Tomorrow morning at nine. Be on time. And be ready, the bayou isn’t some walk in the park. There are snakes. Alligators. Leeches. Mosquitoes.”

“We’ll be ready,” Regina said.

Tiana paused for a moment before she left and added, “One more thing.”

“Name it,” Emma responded.

“That man you mentioned earlier…”

“Fac—“

“Yea. Him,” Tiana interrupted. “Don’t say his name around me. I don’t want to talk about him. I’m not taking you to see him. If anyone starts bugging me about him, asking questions, I’m done with our tour. Are we clear?”

“Absolutely,” Emma answered.

As they left the tavern, Robin asked, “Are you certain that’s an agreement that should have been made? Isn’t Facilier the one we need to actually find?”

“I think this will put us on the right track,” Emma replied. “Besides, if my gut is correct…he’ll come find us.”

They walked down through an open square, finding tables with Tarot card readers, fortune tellers and vendors who were just packing up their things for the night. Killian walked hand-in-hand with Emma as they navigated through the crowd, following Henry so they could keep him in sight. They nearly cleared the crowd when an aged woman grabbed Killian’s arm with a force that seemed too strong for her condition. She had unkempt hair that jutted in every direction around her head, her eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and the way she moved and spoke made her seem positively unhinged. “You’re an old soul,” the woman began.

“Pardon?” Killian asked.

“You’re an old soul,” she repeated. “And you’re not of this world.”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about,” he immediately rebuffed.

“You’re from a distant world, one that cannot be easily reached. You bear the burden of a thousand sins, but there’s no need to carry that weight on your heart, for your good deeds will erase the debt from your soul.” The woman grinned when she realized she had his attention, and then she added, “For a few dollars, I’ll tell you your future.”

“You don’t want to know too much about your future,” Regina cautioned. “It’s dangerous.”

“And this woman’s a _fraud_. A con artist,” Emma added, tugging Killian’s arm.

The old woman frowned and hurried in front of them, tripping forward into Killian. As he caught her, she stared into his eyes and said, “Heed these words…An ally will be revealed in the wink of an eye. When the time comes to seize your destiny, you will find greater power in a gleaming smile than a star of amethyst.”

Killian’s head tilted as he listed to her words, his allies gathered around him, and then the lady extricated herself from his grasp and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Long after they returned to the Jolly Roger for the remainder of the night, the words of the old woman echoed in their minds. Was she a fraud whose words were meaningless? Was she a pawn sent by Facilier to manipulate them? Or did this crazy, scattered old woman really have insight into the future?


	25. Touring the Bayou

Before they left to meet Tiana, Emma gathered everyone on the deck of the Jolly Roger. “Remember,” she warned, “we’re just ordinary tourists from Maine. To people here, Hook, Robin Hood and the Evil Queen don’t exist beyond books and movies, so be careful.”

“I spent twenty-eight years hiding the fact that I was the Evil Queen,” Regina responded, “so I think I can handle it for a few hours.”

“That may be true, but you didn’t have magic then. You and I will have to be really careful not to use magic around her. We don’t want to arouse any suspicions.”

“Why not simply explain the truth to her?” Robin asked. “Hiding it seems to make the whole situation unnecessarily complicated. Is the thought of other realms really that unthinkable to people in this world?”

“Yea. You should have seen what it took to convince Mom,” Henry answered.

“There is no way we could easily convince her of the truth of who we all are and what we’re doing,” Emma replied. “She’ll think we’re either all crazy, or we’re messing with her. Either way, she’s not going to want to help us. So let’s just keep the whole Storybrooke thing under wraps. The last thing we want to do is attract any attention in town or give Facilier any warning if there’s even a chance he doesn’t already know we’re here.”

“Are we all going on this expedition?” Robin questioned.

“I think we should,” Emma answered. "We're gonna need all of our skills to track this guy down. And if he attacks, we’ll be ready.”

* * *

 

When Tiana returned to the tavern to meet the group of tourists, she found them all standing on the sidewalk with awkward formality. “Everyone alright?” she asked as she looked them over. They all answered with a cacophony of reassurances and she nodded slowly. After examining the group’s attire, she said, “You know we’re going into the bayou, right? Walking around in the swamps?”

“We’re ready,” Emma replied for the group.

Tiana seemed to hesitate, still studying the group in front of her, but when Regina held out the promised money, the younger woman quickly grabbed it. “Are you crazy?” Tiana asked. “You clearly don’t live in a city, do you? You don’t hold out money like that for everyone to see.”

“Do you want it or not?” Regina calmly asked, unconcerned with any small time criminals that might try to steal from her.

“Yea I want it,” Tiana said, quickly pocketing the cash and looking around.

“Then let’s go,” Regina immediately responded.

“You all take touring to a whole new level,” the waitress stated. “So…serious.”

Emma nodded, “We’re excited.”

“Alright. Well, we’ll take a streetcar to a place where we can rent a boat.”

“Are you sure you can still find it?” Emma asked.

“Oh, I’m sure," Tiana answered as she led them down the street to a streetcar stop. They all hopped on the streetcar, and, making conversation, Tiana asked, “So where are you all from again?”

“Maine,” Emma answered.

“What about you?” Tiana asked Robin.

“Maine,” he affirmed.

“Have you lived there long?”

“All my life,” Robin calmly answered, immediately seeing Emma’s eyes go wide.

Tiana doubtfully replied, “How’d you get an English accent in _Maine_?”

“He meant all of his adult life,” Regina explained.

“Right,” Tiana said, obviously finding her companions’ behavior sort of strange.

They rode for a while on streetcars until they were close enough to walk to the boat rental shop. Tiana initially smiled when she saw the friendly, middle-aged proprietor wave to her from inside the shop, and then she heard laughter coming from a dock nearby, and she seemed visibly annoyed. On the dock, enjoying the sun and a few cold beers, sat a young man and three female companions. Two of the women were giggling at him and the other was visibly fawning. The young man himself was definitely handsome. He had an amazing physique, a golden tan he’d clearly earned, gorgeous dark eyes and a well-chiseled jaw. He was, in many ways, the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, but Tiana was clearly not one of the members of his fan club.

He waved at Tiana though, offering a dashing grin and shouting with a thick Latin accent, “Finally decided to join us, eh Tiana?”

“I’ll have to pass,” she muttered quietly. Clearly he couldn’t hear her, but she seemed to want him to think he was being ignored. “Right this way,” she signaled to the group she’d been commissioned to take on tour.

“Tiana,” the proprietor greeted with the same thick, almost aristocratic accent of the younger man who’d been lulling outside, “it’s so good to see you.”

“You too, Mr. Rey,” she responded.

“What brings you to me today?”

“I’d like to take my friends here on a little bayou tour.”

“How long would you like the boat?”

“We’ll take it for the day.”

Mr. Rey grabbed the appropriate paperwork and began to fill it out. “So you haven’t come to tame my son? It’s high time for him to grow up,” the older man said as he looked up from his form and grinned.

Tiana responded, “No offense, but your son is a spoiled little boy. I don’t have time for spoiled little boys.”

“Sadly, I know this.” He turned the form toward Tiana and pointed to places where he needed her to sign. “One-hundred dollars even. I’ll give you the family discount. Because you never know, perhaps, one day…”

Tiana chuckled, “Had your son inherited your charm and work ethic, I’d be all over that. For now, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

“I’ll give you the discount anyway…just in case,” Mr. Rey responded, his affection for Tiana blatantly apparent.

Tiana looked at Regina and waited. “Oh yes,” Regina replied, digging into her pocket for money.

“You want lockers?” Mr. Rey offered.

“For what?” Regina asked.

“For anything else that isn’t really needed,” Tiana answered, dropping a few bottles of bug repellent on the counter.

* * *

 

Initially, everyone wondered why Tiana had warned them about the nature of the swamp. They all enjoyed the ride on the airboat, zipping over the water. As they continued on, the channels that were wide and deep enough for their boat grew narrower and more shallow, the trees and vines on all sides and overhead grew thicker and they all started to understand why Tiana had wondered if they really wanted to go into the swamp.

She seemed to know where she was going though, her eyes seeking out landmarks and navigating through the terrain. She found a spot to moor the boat, and carefully tied it down. “Here we are,” she announced, offering a hand to help Henry off the boat and onto the spongy ground.

“This is it?” Emma asked, scowling briefly when Tiana carefully took Emma’s elbow to help her off the boat. Tiana seemed abnormally concerned about Emma’s safety, and Emma guessed it was because she was pregnant. Tiana didn’t know all of the things Emma had done and was going to do while pregnant, and that stepping off a boat most certainly wasn’t one of Emma’s more dangerous activities. “Trust me,” Emma said to Tiana, “I don’t need to be coddled.”

Tiana shook her head, “I’m sure you don’t, but watch your step.”

Emma looked around and asked, “This is where Odalee lived?”

“Sort of,” Tiana replied. “About two more miles. But the swamp is too thick through here, so we’ll have to walk.”

The walk to Odalee’s former residence seemed to be much longer than two miles. Within moments, everyone was damp and muddy and fighting off the mosquitoes that seemed undeterred by repellent. Paths that used to be there were overgrown, the ground was soft, and in some places, they had to trudge through thick mud or slosh through shallow water. When the brush grew too thick, Killian grabbed his sword and started to cut through the vegetation. “What the hell?” Tiana asked when he drew the sword from inside his coat. “You always carry that thing around in there?”

“You said it was swampland,” Killian answered. “I wanted to be prepared.”

Tiana seemed to accept his answer, although a little suspiciously. When a snake slithered down a thick vine near Killian’s shoulder, Robin screamed, “Hook, lookout!” as he grabbed the serpent and tossed it into the water nearby. “Are you alright?” Robin asked.

Killian, unscathed, replied, “Thanks, mate,” before he continued slashing through the brush.

Everyone was watching Killian or helping to clear the debris, and then they paused when Tiana asked, “Did you call him ‘Hook’?”

“Oh, yes,” Robin said as he remembered to be cautious. “A nickname from our youth.”

Tiana nodded, and it looked like she was going to ask where the nickname came from for a moment, and then Killian gestured toward the opening in the vegetation and said, “We can get through.”

As soon as Emma went through the gap Killian had created, her eyes were drawn upward toward a house that was constructed in the trees. It looked a great deal like Odalee’s house in the other realm, although it was situated higher in the trees, and had clearly been abandoned long ago.

There was some graffiti on trees nearby, but oddly enough, none on the home itself. Emma wondered if it was because they feared Odalee, respected her, or a combination of the two. Some of the windows were cracked or completely broken, and there were a few places where the boards were so rotten or warped that they could see through the space between them.

The steps were narrow and steep and didn’t seem terribly safe, and had Tiana not been there, they definitely would have forgone the stairs and used magic to ascend. Robin climbed the staircase first, testing the strength of each step, and when he found the steps to be sound, each member of the party climbed up one at a time.

The inside was eerily like Odalee’s home in the other realm, although it was obvious the place had been looted on more than one occasion. Many of her books were tossed on the floor, bottles on shelves had been emptied, broken or taken, and the hangers that had once held herbs to dry were all empty. Odalee’s chair and large cauldron still sat in the middle of the room, though, likely because they were too heavy and unwieldy to take down the steps. The remaining liquid in the cauldron was a putrescent blend of rotting organic matter and rainwater, and the foul odor filled the room with a smell like death. Someone overcame their respect for and fear of Odalee enough to plunder those things that had belonged to her.

“Maybe if you can give me an idea of what you’re looking for, I can help you find it,” Tiana offered.

“Did you know her?” Emma asked.

“No. She was gone long before my time, my mother’s time, too. If the stories are true, she and a whole group of people disappeared from town when my grandmother was small. To be honest, I don’t even know for sure if she really lived here or if it's all just local folklore.”

“What folklore?”

“They called her Mama Odie. She was widely known for her use of voodoo. Not the pins-and-needles-in-dolls kinda voodoo…mostly she was known for helping people and giving advice. That’s why they called her Mama. She was said to look out for her people.”

“Her people?”

“New Orleans is a diverse place. She didn’t just look out for Creoles or bayou residents. Mama didn’t judge people by color, language or what neighborhood they were from…she did have a soft spot for those who didn’t have much. They say she was very powerful, but if someone came for wealth, power or fame, she sent them out the door. And with all of the power she was supposed to have, you see how little she had for herself.”

Tiana told a few stories about people Odalee was rumored to help, and while everyone was listening to Tiana’s stories, Emma was searching the home. She felt for loose floorboards and checked the shelves for hiding places. There were plenty of loose floorboards, but nothing beneath them. Emma was losing hope, fearing that any clues had long since been pilfered. She flopped back into Odalee’s old wooden chair, frustrated but convinced that there must be a clue left behind that was somehow eluding her. She was just about to give up when she shifted in the chair and the seat beneath her seemed to move.

Emma jumped up so quickly that everyone took notice, and Tiana stopped talking while she watched. Emma knelt in front of the chair and started feeling the seat and arms.

“Are you alright?” Tiana asked. When Emma didn’t answer, Tiana turned to the rest of the group and added, “Is she alright?”

“What did you find, Swan?” Killian asked.

“Nothing yet,” Emma absently answered as she continued to search the chair.

Just when she started to think her search was in vain, Emma pulled one of the decorative supports between the arm of the chair and seat, and she heard the distinct thud of an ancient lock opening. Then she saw it, a drawer that opened beneath the seat. “Got it,” Emma victoriously announced.

Sliding the drawer open, Emma pulled a number of rolled up papers from inside. Everyone gathered around and watched while she unrolled them. She found sketches on the pages. The first was a picture of the talisman they’d already retrieved, and that gave them confidence that they were on the right track. The next few sketches truly astounded them. There were drawings of Killian and Emma, pictures of a shadow swirling around infants, and a beautiful picture of a woman who was obviously Emma holding a baby with green eyes and dark hair that reminded them of the images they’d seen in Raina’s castle. The final image was one of Killian on the deck of the Jolly Roger, black pirate flag flying behind him. Tiana was peeking through the group to see the pictures, but when she saw the picture of Killian and his hook, and remembered that Robin had called him “Hook,” she started to feel uneasy. “Is someone gonna tell me what’s going on here?” she asked.

They were all engrossed in the images, and Emma said to Killian, “These papers are obviously really old…probably almost a hundred years old.”

“Which proves that she, or someone, knew about us even then. She said they’d been waiting for us until we messed up our path,” Killian replied.

“So they did what they had to do to put us back on it,” Emma said.

“Is anyone gonna answer me?” Tiana asked, becoming a little more nervous. No one answered her again and she added, “Someone is going to tell me what’s going on, or I’m going back to the boat and I’m going home.”

“It’s complicated,” Emma finally answered.

“This is some role-playing thing, isn’t it? Or maybe you’re all just a bunch of mental patients.” Tiana pointed at Killian and said, “The hook, the pirate ship…who is he supposed to be…Captain Hook?” Tiana had been chuckling over the notion, but when everyone looked nervously back at her, her smile disappeared. “You really are all crazy…or at least weird,” she answered solemnly. “Either way, I want nothing to do with what’s going on here. I’m leaving. Now. If you still want a guide, follow me. If not, you’re on your own.”

“I know this seems strange,” Henry said as he dashed up to Tiana, trying to convince her to wait and that there was nothing to fear.

As he reached the edge of the porch, the board beneath him snapped in half, and Henry began to fall. Emma saw what had happened, and her instincts immediately used magic to catch him and transport him safely back into her arms. Emma stood there, tightly hugging Henry, and Tiana screamed, “What in the hell was that? How did you do that?”

“Give us a moment and all can be explained,” Robin answered.

Tiana shook her head and began to leave, carefully testing her weight on the steps and trying to flee as quickly as possible. “We can’t just let her leave,” Regina said, using her magic to bring Tiana back up into Odalee’s home.

“Let me go!” Tiana yelled. When no one answered, she started screaming for help.

Killian approached, trying to calm her, but his words fell on deaf ears as the woman panicked.

Regina finally waved her hand, and Tiana’s cries silenced. She was still yelling, but no noise came from her lips. The young woman was thoroughly panicking now. Killian stood in front her and said, “If you’ll agree to be quiet, I’ll have Regina restore your voice. We can explain everything, but we can’t when you’re screaming like that. No one here wants to do you any harm.”

Tears were forming in the corner of Tiana’s eyes, but she bobbed her head in agreement. Killian nodded at Regina, who restored Tiana’s voice. Defiantly, the young woman looked at Killian and said, “If you so much as lay a finger on me-“

“I told you,” he reassured, “no one here wants to hurt you.”

The structure around them creaked again, and they all started to wonder if it was going to collapse. Emma gathered the pictures and said, “We need to get out of here before this whole place crumbles.”

“We can’t go back to town yet. What if she tells everyone about what she’s seen?” Regina said, looking at Tiana.

Knowing that they needed to explain everything to Tiana in the hopes that the young woman wouldn’t run through town telling everyone what she’d seen, Emma nodded. “Tiana, we’re going to take you to our ship so we can explain this to you, okay?”

“I want to go home,” the younger woman replied.

“We can’t let you do that just yet,” Emma answered, “but I promise you’ll be home soon.” In the next blink of an eye, they were all on the Jolly Roger.

Tiana looked around at the ship, looked at Killian and yelled, “Oh my god. Do you _actually_ think you’re Captain Hook or is this all part of whatever game you’re playing?”

“My name is Killian Jones, but most people know me as Hook,” he answered.

“Where is your _hook_?” she argued.

He removed it from his coat and replaced his false hand with it, and she shook her head, trying to find a new argument to prove he was wrong. “Shouldn’t you have been freaking out about those alligators back in the swamp? They were really close to the boat.”

“Why would I fear them?” he asked.

“Isn’t that what took your hand?” she argued, feeling like she was about to win this fight.

He tilted his head and then as the answer dawned on him, he corrected, “Are you talking about the Crocodile?”

“I figured an alligator would be close enough to worry you.”

“How do you know what I call him?” Killian asked with confused interest.

“The ‘crocodile’ who took his hand isn’t really a crocodile,” Emma explained. “That was just a nickname.”

“Right...,” Tiana answered, “because it’s crazy to think the crocodile was real, but Captain Hook, well I should believe that right away.”

“Some of the stories you know have elements of truth,” Emma tried to explain.

“I don’t remember Captain Hook having a lady,” Tiana argued. “Who are you supposed to be? Mister Smee got a sex change and lost a hundred pounds?”

“I didn’t lie to you. My name is Emma Swan, and believe me, I was just as skeptical as you, maybe more. But at some point, I knew there was no other explanation for the things I was seeing.”

"And you?" Tiana asked Regina. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Well," Regina tactfully replied, "Where most of us are from, I'm known as the Evil Queen. But there's no need to be frightened-"

"Which evil queen?" Tiana interrupted. "Isn't there an evil queen or mean stepmother or something like that in pretty much every kids' story?"

Regina's mouth gaped for a moment as her reaction changed from shocked to offended, "There is only _one_ Evil Queen."

“Okay, ma'am. Whatever you say," Tiana replied. Mumbling under her breath, she added, "You’re _all_ delusional,” as she stared up into the masts. She silently admitted, if this was a trick, it was certainly an elaborate one.

“Even if we are delusional,” Regina answered, “how exactly do you think I stopped you from talking? How did Emma stop Henry from falling to his death? How did we all end up here?”

“I’m not sure yet. Hollywood smoke and mirrors? Sleight of hand? If people can make the Statue of Liberty disappear, they can make almost anything look real. Or maybe this is a dream…or maybe those fumes we were breathing at Mama Odie's place made me hallucinate this whole thing.”

“This is all very real,” Emma replied. She directed Tiana toward a wooden provisions box and patted the top. “Have a seat. If you really want to know, I’ll explain everything. All that I ask is that you have an open mind.”

“Doesn’t seem like I have a lot of choice in the matter,” Tiana answered.

“You could agree to wait here on the ship until we do what we need to do and we're ready to go home,” Emma said with a smile.

"Or we could try to make a memory potion, and help her forget this whole thing," Regina suggested.

"I'm not waiting here and I'm certainly not taking any _potion_ ," Tiana retorted as she leaned back, finding a more comfortable position. “But if you want to try to explain all of this, I'm all ears.”

Emma told Tiana their stories. At first, Tiana was beyond skeptical, but as she listened and Emma and Regina showed her their magic, Robin's always accurate arrow, and some of the items on Killian’s ship, they could see she was beginning to wonder if maybe her captors weren’t entirely crazy. Still, it was a lot to convince anyone of in the space of a few moments. Noting Tiana’s continued hesitation, Emma said, “Look, I know you don’t want to talk about him, but as you already obviously know, Facilier is not a good man. He’s threatened my children. I can’t overlook that.”

“They aren’t the first. He’s known for some pretty terrible things, if the rumors are true,” Tiana said.

“If that’s normal behavior for him, then I’m guessing you can probably agree that he needs to be stopped.”

Tiana paused, but finally nodded, “I do.”

“So regardless of whether or not you believe our story and who we are…you agree it’s in everyone’s best interest to make sure he can’t hurt anyone else?”

“Yea.”

“All that we’re asking is that you give us some time to find him,” Emma stated.

“Okay.”

“And we’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t tell anyone else about what we’ve told you. We don’t want to attract a lot of attention.”

“Alright,” Tiana agreed. “Not like anyone would believe me anyway.”

“Thank you,” Emma replied. Turning back to the rest of the group, she said, “Well, we know that Odalee knew about us a long time ago. Which means Facilier has probably known about us for a long time.”

“Unfortunately, we’re no closer to finding him,” Killian added. “I didn’t see anything that might lead us to him.”

“Neither did I,” Regina admitted.

“I guess we’ll go back to town. Maybe take one of those tours and see if we can catch any leads,” Emma replied.

Tiana cleared her throat and said, “I know where to find him. I’ll show you.”

“I thought you didn’t want to get involved with anything related to him,” Regina answered.

“I don’t. But someone needs to stop him.”

“Why do I get the feeling that there’s something you’re not telling us,” Regina suspiciously suggested.

“He’s hurt people I care about,” Tiana answered, “and that’s all I’m saying on the matter.”

“Maybe we’re not so crazy after all?” Emma asked.

“Oh, I still think you all are crazy. But crazy or not, no one deserves to have their babies taken by that monstrous excuse for a man. Just make sure you get him. I’m putting my neck on the line helping you.”

“We will,” Emma replied.

“Now can I go home?”

“Aren’t you going to take us to find Facilier?”

“I’m not going to that part of town at night. I don’t work until tomorrow afternoon. I’ll take you in the morning. I’m exhausted, and I still have to get back out into the swamp to get the boat back to Mr. Rey.”

“Emma and I can take you to the boat and escort you home,” Killian offered.

“Are you sure you two want to go alone?” Regina asked.

“You all look quite weary. You and Robin can stay here with the boy and rest. We’ll be back shortly,” Killian replied.

As much as Killian liked Henry and enjoyed the company of Regina and Robin as well, he missed being alone with Emma. While they had been gone, they'd sailed together, spent months venturing out on their own while they'd stayed in Raina's castle, and he wanted just a few moments for the two of them after they dropped Tiana off at home.

Killian added, “If you have any problems, we can call you on the communication device.”

“What kind of communication device?” Tiana asked, waiting for an outlandish, other-world explanation.

“He means a cell phone,” Emma replied, hugging Henry and whispering him a good night. “We can handle it. You guys get some rest.”

“How are we going to get back there? It’s dark,” Tiana asked.

Taking Killian’s arm and walking closer to Tiana, Emma replied, “Same way we got here.”

With a flip of her hand, Emma magically transported the three of them to the shore next to the airboat. “I have to admit,” Tiana said, looking around, “I don’t know how you do that, but it’s a really cool trick.”

 


	26. A Rescuer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I’m so sorry for the delay in posting. I lost someone who meant a great deal to me, so I needed to step away for a few days. Thank you for your patience. I should be back to posting about once a week again.

Emma transported Tiana and Killian to the place in the swamp where they’d left the airboat. As soon as they appeared in the swamp, they saw a flashlight searching the grounds nearby. Tiana shushed them and pointed, whispering, “I don’t know who would be out here at this hour.”

Moments later they heard the squishy thud of someone falling into the mud, and a disgusted voice cursing in discontent.

“Mr. Rey? Is that you?” Tiana asked when she heard the accent.

“It is I, Naveen,” the voice replied as he came through the bushes. With the smile of a victorious rescuer, he said, “I thought you might be in need of some rescuing.”

“You think _I_ needed to be rescued by _you_? What are you really doing out here? You searching for a bayou party or maybe one of those _ladies_ you consort with brought you out here and left you behind when she realized she was just another notch on your belt?”

Slightly stunned by her reaction, he retorted defensively, “I was worried about my father’s airboat.”

“You don’t give a damn about your father’s boat or his business.”

“You are simply trying to distract me from the fact that you signed an agreement stating that you would return the boat to its rightful owners before sunset, and you have failed to do so.”

“Like you care about rules and agreements,” Tiana argued.

Standing a few steps away, Emma whispered to Killian, “I think they’re actually flirting.”

Killian teased in response, “There’s only one thing to do. Get some shackles and chain the poor bugger out here in the swamp to be slowly consumed by those blood sucking pests. If it’s true love, they’ll find their way back to each other.”

Emma elbowed him as she watched the young couple nearby continuing their flirtatious verbal tussling.

“Let’s get out of here,” Tiana argued, “I’m sure some nameless floozy is waiting for you somewhere.”

With bold resolve, Naveen stated, “I cancelled my plans for the evening when you didn’t return. I was concerned.”

“What?” she asked, waiting for the punchline that she was certain would follow.

“The bayou is no place to be at night. It is dark and treacherous. It is late,” he replied, digging through his bag until he found a flashlight and handed it over to Tiana. “And, to be quite honest, your new group of friends seemed a little strange.” Turning to Emma and Killian, Naveen added, “Of course I mean no offense.”

“None taken,” Emma replied.

Tiana turned the flashlight on and pointed it toward him, immediately covering her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter. Naveen was a muddy, filthy mess, obviously not used to being so far out in the swamps.

“Why are you laughing at me?” Naveen asked, a little bit amused and little baffled.

“Did you fall down? Repeatedly?”

“The banks are slippery,” he confessed as she practically lost her own footing with laughter.

When he seemed disappointed, she choked down her laughter and apologized, “I’m so sorry, but this is too funny. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dirty.”

“I’m glad my attempt at chivalry has amused you,” Naveen dejectedly replied.

Guiltily, Tiana admitted, “Really, Naveen, that was sweet of you.”

“Shall we return to the shop?” he asked. “I left my boat near yours. I can lead the way.”

They all followed the bright spotlights Naveen had affixed to his boat and returned to Mr. Rey’s shop. As they were nearly ready to leave, Naveen said to Tiana, “May I take you home?”

Huffing, Tiana immediately snapped, “You think I’m going to sleep with you just because you—“

“What I meant to say was…May I take you to your home? To the door only,” he clarified.

“I don’t owe you anything,” she warned. “And I’m not like those cheap airheads you seem so fond of.”

“Of course you don’t owe me anything.” Naveen took a moment to flash a grin that probably worked on most women and said, “But, perhaps when it is time for us to say goodnight, a tiny token of your appreciation would be nice?”

“Don’t push it,” Tiana dryly said.

“Very well. But what about your friends?”

“Oh…ummm…”

“The rest of our friends left the expedition a little earlier. They are going to drive over and pick us up,” Emma lied. After all, she wasn’t going to try to explain who they were to anyone else, and she couldn’t tell him they’d just ‘poof’ themselves back to the Jolly Roger.

Naveen jogged up onto the deck and unlocked the screened porch, “You can wait in here. It’s not much but at least it’s cover.”

“Much appreciated, mate,” Killian replied.

“Please lock it before you leave. That is all I ask. And do your best not to damage anything. My father would hold me personally responsible.”

Tiana gave her new friends her cell phone number so they could meet the next morning. She still planned to take them to Facilier’s shop. Naveen jutted out his elbow, offering his arm to Tiana. She stared for a few seconds, trying to decide what she wanted to do, but with a small nod of acceptance, she casually wound her hand around his arm and the two walked away together. When they were a good distance away, Emma and Killian heard Naveen ask, “So who are these new friends of yours?”

“Tourists I met at the tavern,” Tiana answered, tiredly.

“They seem…interesting.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” she answered.

“Then tell me about them.”

“I’m still not sure if I know,” Tiana chuckled. Changing the subject, she said as they got into Naveen's car, “Was your father upset that I didn’t make it back before closing?”

 

“A moment alone at last,” Killian said after Tiana and Naveen had gone. He turned to Emma and took a moment just to look at her.

A bug zapper cast a pale blue glow in one corner of the screened porch where they pretended to wait for a ride. Two vending machines hummed at the other end of the porch, and a few tables, chairs and benches covered the deck.

“A romantic date in a swamp?” Emma replied ironically.

“Romance is not so much about location as it is the company. Although you were the one to first suggest this is a date…” Killian looked at the vending machine and searched his pocket to see if he had any coins from this world. Digging through a strange combination of doubloons and quarters, he found enough money to purchase a couple of bottles. Turning to her victoriously he said, “Might as well make the best of the situation.”

“I’d love to have time for a date,” she said, stepping closer and taking one of the drinks from his hand. Coquettishly tracing her finger along the opening in his shirt, she eventually sighed with resignation, “But we have to get back to the others. They’ll worry.”

“If only there was a way to efficiently contact them,” he teased as he took out his cell phone. Calling Regina, he took a moment to check in, keeping his eyes fixed on Emma through the entire conversation. “It’s high time you attempt to embrace the conveniences of this world,” he joked as he ended the call.

“Right,” she smiled, rolling her eyes, “well we can’t all be on the cutting edge of technology like you.”

It was true though, he was completely settling into her world. He wasn’t perplexed by vending machines or cell phones anymore, and Emma had the distinct impression that the man could adapt and survive almost anywhere. She watched him step one leg over a bench, straddling it as he took a seat and gestured to the spot next to him. The one thing that seemed horribly out of place was the beverage in his hand. He didn’t grab for his flask, he opened a bottle of cola and took a drink, and that looked far crazier than the sight of him with a cell phone.

“You out of rum already?” she asked.

“No. Why, love, you need it? Are you injured?”

“No I just…” Emma took a seat next to his knees, facing the table. “It’s just weird to see you drinking anything besides rum.”

“The ale at Granny’s is fantastic,” he answered. “I drink that.”

“I know it’s just...usually you tend to drink things with alcohol in them. And coffee.”

“Amazing stuff, coffee. And I do love my rum. It’s great to care for wounds, as you can attest to. It’s wonderful in times of celebration, to share a moment of camaraderie, but most of all, it’s wonderful to help ease a man’s sorrow. Pirate panacea,” he explained with a grin.

“All in one little flask,” she replied as she happily regarded the man next to her.

“Indeed,” he said, staring at the bottle of cola in his hand and raising it in a mock toast, “I just don’t have any wounds to speak of at the moment. Since you can’t drink, I’ve no one to share a drink with in the spirit of celebration or camaraderie.” He turned and looked at her as he added, “And, simply put, I’ve very few sorrows to drown as of late.”

Sometimes his words would really strike her, and they did that night. Her fingers slid over his sleeve and moved up his forearm as she slid just a little closer. She calmly shook her head though, trying to maintain some semblance of cool, and she asked, “You’re a graduate of pirate charm school?”

“I founded the institution and was the finest instructor to ever walk those hallowed halls,” he immediately joked. “After all, there was no pirate more adept in the subject than I,” and as she smiled and laughed softly at his response, he looked quite pleased with himself. She could see in his expression just how much he loved making her smile.

“It has been too long since we’ve been alone. And since we’ve repeatedly had sex in caves and jungles and castles and pretty much everywhere else we’ve been since we started seeing each other, it’s probably going to be hard to convince you that this place is inappropriate,” she replied.

“Agreed.”

“But at the same time, I don’t really want to add indecent exposure charges to my rap sheet.”

“I’d never allow you to be indecently exposed to anyone but me,” he declared. “We’re alone out here. I doubt anyone would venture into these parts so late at night.”

“I don’t think they would either…but they _could_.”

“There’s nothing indecent about a kiss, is there?”

Without a verbal answer, her fingers caught his chin and turned him toward her. After one quick brush of her lips against his, they were soon facing each other, kissing with all of the passion they had within them. A kiss was seldom _just_ a kiss for them. Still seated on the bench, her legs soon draped over his thighs, their bodies coming closer without any thought at all.

She was sitting on the spot of bench right near the apex of his thighs, as close as she could be without allowing their clothed sexes to touch because that would be too much to stand without caving in to each other. His arms were around her as his tongue flicked her earlobe, his hand working down toward her ass. He changed direction just before he could feel the tops of her jeans, seemingly in an act of the utmost restraint. His fingers slipped under her shirt as their mouths met again and she felt them climbing up her ribs toward her breast.

As they made out like teenagers desperate for a moment alone in a place that was only barely secluded, he managed to push her bra up enough to free her breasts while keeping her covered with her shirt and hidden by his body. His palm grazed her pebbled nipple, and the deep, masculine groan that rumbled from his chest signaled that the avalanche of affection was already beginning. Things were still, as always, so incredibly heated between them. As pervasive as the mutual attraction was, it didn’t define them. It was a symptom, a sign and a byproduct of the vast expanse of love they shared.

They were so near, separated by clothes and a sliver of distance necessitated by the one pale blue bug light that illuminated the space they occupied and made them visible should anyone come by. He thought about using his sword to sever the cord that provided power to that one nuisance. But he didn’t want to do any damage after they were graciously offered this space, and there was something beautiful about the restrictions placed upon them. They were forced to accept this sampling of each other, this makeout session that stretched well beyond their typical foreplay.

Their need was as heavy as the humid summer bayou air, their lust creating a gravity that seemed to demand the destruction of that sliver of space that stubbornly kept them apart. They each knew what they’d find if one of them would just cave and wiggle that tiny bit closer. She could feel the urgency of his longing, and knew that if the space could be obliterated, she’d find him hard as steel. She could already imagine her fingers surrounding the smooth skin of his cock, and she could hear that desperate almost shaky sigh that signaled a vulnerability that seemed so opposed to the decisiveness of his physical reaction.

And he already knew what he’d find nestled between her legs. He knew she’d be all of those wonderful things he’d come to know. She’d be wet and soft and warm and tight, and every single adjective that flowed through his brain as he thought of her body sounded like bliss. But he wasn’t thinking in adjectives and verbs and any sort of organized idea that could be easily converted to text. He was thinking in images, sensations, sounds and heat, and things that were always better experienced than spoken about.

The contact that was allowed, gropes beneath shirts, suggestive kisses and nips along her neck that went as far south as her collarbone but didn’t dare go an inch further were delightful but also threw into light those touches and sensations that were not allowed.

When she slipped forward along the bench and purged the empty space between them, either could have pointed fingers in blame. It was true, he had tightened his arms around her again. It was also true that when his arms tightened, she moved too willingly closer toward him. For a few seconds, that extra bit of contact was enough. The actual _heat_ between them was a fiery reminder of their desire. Those threads between them were simultaneously their scourge and their salvation. Although he was still trapped in his pants, it felt so good to press his hard length between her legs. Soon they felt their hips shifting, their sexes rubbing through their clothes.

He stood first, and she was certain that he was finally admitting that he’d had enough of this play, but he leaned down and kissed her and whispered, “Another fling out in the wild? For old times’ sake?”

Her lack of answer was answer enough. Taking one more look at her in the glow of the light, he saw the desire on her face that made her seem so disheveled. He took her hand and led her back toward the vending machine. “What did you have in mind?” she coyly asked.

He stepped between the back wall and the vending machine. It was one small space where they were away from the glow cast by the light, and they had more cover there than they did almost anywhere else on that screen porch. Ironically, once they were back there, Emma flicked her hand and the bug light turned off and darkened the room. “You couldn’t have done that earlier?” he smirked.

“I was a little preoccupied. Besides…I was having fun the way things were,” she answered, gasping as he stepped between her legs.

The vending machine behind her hummed, creating soft vibrations at her back. He didn’t waste any time, hoping she wouldn’t change her mind. He finessed his way into her pants as quickly as possible until the back of his knuckle pressed at the edge of her folds and he waited.

“Don’t stop now,” she ordered, and she could feel his smile.

His knuckle slipped up and down, her juices liberally coating his digit. He was oddly patient after the intensity of the moment that had preceded this one. He drew his knuckle slowly up and down, only barely parting her sex and brushing her clit. Although the movement of his finger was slow, the intensity hadn’t lessened. She need this, she needed him, and each time his finger touched her nub she could think of nothing else but the next time he’d touch that spot again. It was a repetitive symphony of pleasure and anticipation alternating against her.

Her fingers started to dig into him as her climax loomed, and his pace was patient yet unrelenting like the unpersuadable rhythm of perpetual motion. She could feel her body impatiently demanding the arrival of her peak as the pleasure became almost too delicious. The wait for release ended with one sharp spasm as her clit throbbed under his touch and her orgasm crashed with palpable electricity. Wanting to silence her cries, she slid her tongue into his mouth and started eagerly kissing him as she felt her whole body continue to react to his steady stroking against her sex.

She leaned her forehead against his shoulder as she started to descend, and she felt his finger continuing to softly move against her. She opened her mouth to demand that he stop, but the only noise that slipped from her lips was a sigh so drenched with arousal that it even surprised her. She couldn’t possibly convince him that she was sated when she sounded like that.

The pulse inside her wanted so badly to feel _him_ within, and she knew that particular screaming need wouldn’t be satisfied by anything less. She opened his pants and wrapped both hands around his straining dick. She felt the moisture at his tip and the hardness of his member and his lust was the perfect accompaniment to her own. He removed his hand from her pants and he stroked his cock a few times, coating it with the wetness that was all over his fingers after touching her. For some reason, the thought of her wetness all over his rock hard prick made her all the more desirous. When she started taking off her jeans, he felt his heart palpitate with anticipation.

She leaned her back against the vending machine and braced one foot against the wall behind him and grabbed a handful of fabric from his shirt and pulled him close. Her tummy was bigger, but still not big enough to make such unexpected encounters in tight spaces difficult.

His hand slipped under her leg and lifted her from the ground. They found each other in the dark, without any hands to guide him into her. They knew each other’s bodies so well. They knew how they fit together. The sensitive, thick tip of him pushed into her body, and this time she couldn’t kiss him quickly enough to silence her cries. He pushed slowly into her, opening her inch by inch as her body clasped firmly around him. He didn’t even stop once he was buried in her. He pulled out completely, feeling the lack of her tight grip for a second before he pushed his body back into the warmth of her.

But his own need wouldn’t let him be as patient as he’d been with his finger. Each time he pushed into her, he moved a little more quickly, and he lacked the willpower to pull out of her completely again, but he made sure they could both feel the steady luxury of their bodies meeting. She pushed the back of his pants down enough so she could grab his ass and pull him closer. She started bucking back against the machine behind her. The whole thing just felt so fucking good. As much as it could have been a powerful aphrodisiac to imagine themselves out in the open, neither were aware enough to even think about that anymore.

He came first this time, lifting her a little higher with each jolt of his orgasm. As she felt him exploding into her, her muscles snapped tight around him and her second orgasm rose quickly and crashed and drained the last of his strength from his body.

Moments later, after sloppy, sleepy kisses of admiration and appreciation, the two weak-kneed lovers gathered themselves and left the confines of their temporary love nest together. “Do you think someday we’ll be a normal, boring couple looking back at our wilder days?” she asked as he locked the door as they’d been instructed by Naveen and she flicked the light back on.

They walked behind the building to dim the bright light of her magic if anyone should come by. “I sincerely hope not,” he answered. “We’re so good at the wilder days…seems a shame to squander such talents.”

They returned to the Jolly Roger, relieved to find Henry peacefully sleeping below deck and Regina and Robin sharing close conversation on deck. They briefly updated their allies on what had happened with Tiana and spent an uneventful night resting.

When they woke in the morning, things seemed, for them, to be remarkably lacking in drama. As peaceful as it all seemed, they all knew quite well that the serenity wouldn’t last.


	27. Finding Facilier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I still don't own any of these characters.

Emma tried not to overreact when Tiana didn’t answer her phone the next morning. So she waited and called again. But Tiana didn’t answer the next four calls either. “We need to get down to that restaurant. Maybe she was called in to work,” Emma suggested, but it certainly didn’t sound like she believed her own explanation. Pulling Regina aside, Emma said, “I have a really bad feeling.”

“So do I,” Regina admitted.

“It’s possible Facilier has her. If we find him, what are we going to do if he’s able to block our magic?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“I think you should stay here with Henry and Robin. We can set up a mirror, you can watch us from here. If Facilier attacks and immobilizes my magic, you can try to do something from a distance.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Your magic is stronger. You should stay here and I’ll go with the pirate.”

Emma shook her head, “I can’t. I can’t send him to do this without me. Besides, even if my magic is more powerful, you have a lot more practice. We won’t be gone long, we just need to make sure Tiana is alright, then we’ll come back. But if he has Tiana trapped somewhere…I don’t want to wait around and see what he’ll do.”

“Fine,” Regina nodded. “Get a mirror. And if I sense you need our help, we’ll be there.”

“Thank you,” Emma sincerely said before she hurriedly gathered their things to go.

She and Killian were ready quickly, as it seemed they had no time to waste. They had to be careful when using magic to transport themselves since they didn’t want to be seen. Their first stop was the tavern. None of the other servers at the tavern had seen or heard from Tiana, but one of the girls who was worried about her friend gave them Tiana’s address. At that point, they decided to ride streetcars to get to Tiana’s house since there were far too many people around to attempt to use magic.

She and Killian said little as they rode to Tiana’s, worried that something horrible had happened to the young woman. “That really was Naveen last night, right?” Emma asked Killian as they got off the streetcar.

“So far as I know,” he replied.

“It could have been Facilier in disguise. Maybe he knows what we’ve been up to.”

Killian didn’t respond because the possibility was a worrisome one. He nodded toward a small house in a long row of houses. Tiana’s home wasn’t fancy, but it certainly was pristine. The yard was well kept with flowers lining the walkways, and there was a fresh coat of paint on the house. It was warm and inviting. They walked up the steps to the porch and Emma knocked. After a few seconds, a very distinguished middle-aged woman came to the door and said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning Mrs…m’am,” Emma replied since she didn’t know the woman’s last name. “We’re friends of Tiana’s from work. Is she here this morning?”

“She left before I got up today. I’m her mother. That girl works all the time, but usually I see her before she flies out the door.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, did she come home last night?” Emma asked.

“Of course she came home last night,” Tiana’s mother replied, crossing her arms. “What are you implying?”

“Nothing!” Emma defended. “We just wanted to make sure she made it home alright.”

“She did. Mr. Rey, the man who owns a couple of tourist transportation businesses, his son brought her home. Seemed strange since Tiana doesn’t really care for him much.”

“Look, I don’t want to alarm you, but we were supposed to meet her this morning, and she won’t answer her phone.”

“Oh,” Tiana’s mother laughed like it was of no concern, “if someone called and offered her a shift, she’d go straight into work. And when she’s there, she doesn’t answer her phone. Head down to the tavern. You’ll find her there.”

Deciding it was best not to worry the older woman any more than necessary, Emma replied, “We’ll do that. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“Can I ask you for just one favor?” Emma asked.

“You can ask…”

“Can I give you my phone number? If she comes home or you hear from her, can one of you call me so I know she’s okay?”

Tiana’s mother nodded slowly, “Are you that concerned?”

“No. I just want to be sure.”

“Alright. Give me the number and I’ll have her call you when she’s home.”

* * *

 After they left Tiana’s house, Emma and Killian began walking down the street and Killian said, “I think we need to pay a visit to Naveen.”

“Tiana’s mom said he brought her home last night.”

“But we can question him and find out if that really was him last night or if it was an imposter.”

“Good idea. Let’s go.”

Killian pulled her behind an abandoned house near the end of the road.

“Killian, we don’t have time to mess around right now,” she admonished.

“You’re absolutely right,” he answered, “we do not have time. Which is why I think we need to use magic to get us closer to Rey’s shop. This place seems secluded enough to me.”

“Oh. Yea. Alright,” she answered, surveying the area before she took Killian’s arm and transported them into the swamp near the shop.

They could see Naveen. He had a few friends on the dock with him, but he obviously wasn’t in the mood for a party. He was sitting, slumped in a chair, clearly preoccupied. “What do you think?” Emma asked Killian. “Do you think he was involved in something?”

“Naveen?” Killian asked with a tone of surprise. “I doubt it. That look isn’t guilty. That look is smitten.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“How do you want to proceed?”

“Let’s talk to him, see if he remembers last night. If he does, then I think it really was him,” Emma said as she stepped out from their hiding spot and started marching up to Naveen.

“Why if it isn’t Tiana’s strange friends!” Naveen said, perking up a little as he looked around. “Is Tiana with you, by chance?”

“It’s just us,” Emma explained.

“Where is your car?” he asked, remembering how they’d had to wait for a ride the night before.

“Oh,” Emma said, turning back to where they’d come from, “we parked back there. It’s a great day for a walk.”

Naveen was trying to look in the distance to find their car when Killian asked, “Have you been in contact with Tiana today?”

“Not yet. But I’m confident I’ll hear from her soon. I gave her my number.”

“She’s supposed to call you?” Emma asked.

“I don’t know if she’s _supposed_ to, but I suspect she will. Women often do,” Naveen boasted.

“Does that actually work with women? That over the top confidence?”

“You tell me?” Naveen flirted for a second. Dropping the bravado, he said, “I hope to hear from her soon. But, why are you asking?”

“We were supposed to meet her today,” Killian answered, “but she’s nowhere to be found.”

“That’s not like Tiana,” Naveen said. “If she says she will do something, most often she does it.”

“That was our impression as well,” Killian replied.

“Check the tavern. She probably went to work.”

“We already looked there. She’s not working,” Emma replied.

Naveen seemed quite concerned as he dug into his pocket for his phone. He tried to call her, and when the call went to voicemail, he hung up. “And you are sure she’s not working?”

“Positive,” Emma answered.

“We need to find her,” Naveen agreed.

“You took her home last night?”

“Of course. I took her to her door. Sadly, she wouldn’t allow me to come inside, but she made it home safely. Of that you can be certain.”

“She was helping us with something,” Emma confessed. “I’m concerned that someone found out she was helping us and they’re retaliating.”

“Who would that be?” Naveen asked, skeptically.

Emma and Killian exchanged a look of agreement, and then Killian asked, “Are you familiar with a man by the name of Facili—“

“Don’t say his name,” Naveen shushed. Pulling them away from his partying friends, he asked Emma and Killian, “What do you want with… _him_?”

“Let’s just say we’ve crossed paths," Killian replied.

“Many do.”

“We need to have a chat. Tiana was going to take us to him," Emma explained.

“I cannot tell you where to find him,” Naveen said, but he took a few steps away, gesturing for them to join him in his father’s shop.

“You can’t? Or you won’t?” Emma asked with the utmost frustration as they followed him.

As he stood behind the counter, Naveen said that Facilier helped people solve their problems, adding, “Outsiders simply do not understand our world."

But as he spoke, Naveen scrawled something very different on the back of an old receipt. The note said:

He has ears everywhere

The man is pure evil

He cannot know I’m helping you 

Killian and Emma nodded and watched as Naveen scrawled an address on a separate piece of receipt paper. He pointed to the address and pushed the scrap toward Killian. On the original note, Naveen wrote one more line: “I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

Killian nodded his thanks as he picked up the paper and he and Emma hurried out of the store as quickly as possible without drawing too much attention. Naveen stood at the counter, his palms flat on the surface as he leaned heavily with his head hung. His father watched him and asked, “What has happened?”

Naveen lifted his head and gazed out the window behind his father. His friends were waiting for him at the dock, prepared for a day of leisure and fun. Suddenly his expression changed from worry and defeat to one of steely resolve. Searching behind the counter, Naveen grabbed his keys and said, “I must go.”

“Where are you going, my son?” his father asked.

“I’m going to help them. Tiana, she is missing.”

“Missing?” the older man gasped.

“They are going to find her, but I can’t wait here.”

The older man smiled with subtle pride and confirmed, “Yes. You should go. But where will you look?”

Naveen knew it was best not to make his father aware of Facilier’s involvement. “I don’t know yet. I’ll call you when we find her.”

Naveen ran out the door in the direction that he’d seen Emma and Killian go. He rushed along the road and toward the more wooded area, but he didn’t see them. He shouted for them, wondering where they could have parked and how they could have gotten so far, so fast. Deciding he didn’t have time to worry about such things, he ran back to his own car, hopped in, and drove off without a word to his partying friends.

* * *

 As soon as Emma and Killian found cover, she used magic to transport them to a somewhat shady abandoned building near the tavern that she’d seen when they were there before. They appeared in the middle of a room that was littered with trash and a few sleeping feral cats. They found themselves under the confused glare of an inebriated squatter. The man was filthy, and from the look in his eyes, extremely disoriented. He tilted his head as he looked at the people who’d invaded “his” space. Emma started to consider different excuses, since she was certain he was about freak out, but instead he pointed and shouted, “Get out of my house. This is my house!”

Killian took Emma’s arm and led her through the obstacle laden building. It had been a dangerous gamble, using magic in this unfamiliar place where someone could see them, but as they stepped onto the sidewalk, Killian said with a grin, “Risky move, Swan. But don’t worry, he’ll blame the rum.”

Emma laughed for second, but as Killian pulled out the piece of paper they’d gotten from Naveen, they immediately focused on finding Tiana. They navigated through the French Quarter, finally spotting the location they’d been given. “Are you sure this is the right place?” Killian asked.

“This is the address he gave us,” Emma said, feeling just as skeptical.

The building in front of them was very plain and quite narrow. The walls were dull brown, the door was old but just a plain wooden door. There weren’t any strange herbs hanging in the windows or runes scrawled on the door. They’d expected something quite different. In fact, the simplicity of this place reminded them of the tiny shack they’d entered in Raina’s kingdom when they went to procure the talisman, and that made them wonder what lurked behind the door. Emma knocked, and they could almost hear an echo from the other side, but there were no signs of movement within.

After they were certain no one was going to answer, Killian reached for the knob, but before he could even turn it, the door creaked open slightly. He leaned slowly through the opening and looked inside to make sure the space was clear before he swung the door open and stepped inside as Emma followed.

Inside, the room was just as narrow as it had appeared from outside, but it was much longer and taller than rationally possible. At the far end of the room there was a single door. The place didn’t appear to be a shop or a home since there weren’t furnishings of any kind. The floor was gravel covered and walls were simple plaster. Killian took a few steps further into the space, and it was so empty that they could actually hear an echo from the tiny pieces of gravel that he kicked as he walked.

“This place is seriously weird,” Emma said as she followed. “Do you feel that?”

“The draft?” he asked.

“Well, that and just…this place is…heavy. Do you feel that weight?”

He shook his head, “No. But it’s definitely eerie.”

They walked toward the end of the hall, and the room almost seemed to elongate as they stepped. Emma took out her phone to call Regina. Emma hoped Regina would have some insight into what they were seeing, and she also wanted to make sure Regina was still watching and available to help if things turned south quickly, but her phone wouldn’t work. She started back toward the entrance and said, “We better go out and make sure everything’s okay with Regina and Henry before we go any further.”

At that moment, the entry door slammed shut, and the noise echoed through the room, accompanied by the faint sound of laughter. Both Killian and Emma felt a chill run up their spines, but continued forward when they realized there was no going back.

Emma stepped up to the door at the end of the hall. Killian, enchanted sword in hand, stood by her side, ready for whatever was to come. Her fingers tightened around the knob, and she turned it as quietly as possible, hoping that, by some miracle, they could still approach with an element of surprise. The knob turned easily, but the door refused to budge as she tugged. In a moment of frustration, she waved her hand, calling on her magic to open the door, but still nothing happened.

Killian sheathed his sword and grasped the knob to see if he could pull it open. He summoned all of his strength, but when he pulled, the door flew open and a burst of air rushed out and surrounded him. The winds encircled him like long, powerful fingers, dragging him through the door, and the moment he was pulled through, the door snapped shut.

The room was terrifyingly silent as Emma grabbed the door knob, pulling and shaking with all of her might. As frustration mounted, she pounded on the door, repeatedly screaming “Killian,” and desperately wishing there would be an answer. Before she could even consider her next move, she was pushed by an unseen force that moved her the whole way through the building and out the entryway door. She landed on her butt, expecting to find herself on the sidewalk, but instead of cement beneath her fingers, she felt the long worn wood of the Jolly Roger’s deck.

“Emma?” Regina’s concerned voice called.

“Mom!” Henry exclaimed as he helped Emma stand up.

“What happened?” Regina asked. “I was watching you, but as soon as you walked into that strange, narrow building, my connection was dropped. We tried to poof there to help you, but we always ended up somewhere else. That place seemed to have some sort of shield.”

“Where’s Killian?” Henry asked.

Emma shook her head, “He was pulled through a door, one I couldn’t open. I’m not exactly sure where it led. But we need to get to him. Fast.”


	28. The Prophecy

Killian had been sucked through portals and through time, he’d flown through the air on the Jolly Roger, but he’d never been yanked away as quickly as he’d been when he’d been sucked through Facilier’s door. He remembered seeing Emma’s expression turn to one of terror before she disappeared and he was surrounded by darkness. As soon as he saw light again, he heard Facilier’s booming voice, “Welcome, friend, to my humble abode.”

Killian still felt his enchanted sword trapped under his coat. As he looked down at where it was, Facilier sneered, “Thanks for sheathing that blade and hiding it in your coat. The nice leather barrier protected me from it. You’re so considerate.”

“Where’s Emma?” Killian demanded.

“She’s with her friends, safe and sound just off the coast in your lovely vessel. I won’t harm so much as a hair on her head. That’s why I need you.”

“I’d never hurt her.”

“You would if you didn’t have a choice,” Facilier countered. “Get comfortable. My whole plan is to keep you here locked up. When Emma and her friends return, I’ll let them rescue you.”

“What’s the point in all that?”

“You’ll see soon enough. But I’m not entirely heartless. I called an old friend of yours to keep you company.”

Killian didn’t even have a chance to look around when he heard a very familiar voice, “Well, well, well. I didn’t expect to have a toy to play with.”

“What are you doing, Crocodile?” Killian cringed as he faced Gold.

“I’m here to help _persuade_ you to help us with a little project,” Gold replied. He stood in front of his longtime enemy and roughly pulled open Killian’s coat and took the enchanted sword.

“I don’t think you could persuade me to do a damn thing.”

“I’m an excellent motivator,” Gold grinned, sheathing the enchanted sword in his own scabbard before he plunged his fingers into Killian’s chest.

Killian’s head tipped back as he felt a pain that was far too familiar for his liking. He could feel Gold squeezing his heart in his chest. This pain was indescribable, and the only thoughts he could concentrate on besides the clenching pain that consumed his chest were not hopeful ones.

“Do I have your attention?” Gold asked. When Killian didn’t answer, Gold demanded, “Look at me. Or are _you_ too much of a coward?”

“I’m no coward!” Killian answered, focusing his eyes on his nemesis.

Over the next few seconds, Gold’s hand stayed in Killian’s chest, but his grip loosened enough for Killian to breathe a little better. Killian stared into Gold’s eyes with worry and rage, and then Gold did the last thing Killian ever would have expected. Gold leaned his face closer so their noses were nearly touching, and he winked.

Killian was initially startled, and tilted his head as he tried to figure out what was going on. Gold squeezed Killian’s heart again, probably so that Facilier wouldn’t see confusion or relief on Killian’s face. “Are you listening?” Gold growled. “You’ll do as I say!”

Killian nodded as he remembered the premonition of the old woman they’d met while walking through the French Quarter: _Heed these words…An ally will be revealed in the wink of an eye.  
_

His mind began to race as Killian wondered if it could be true. Could his oldest enemy be his ally? It seemed impossible, but yet Gold was standing before him, winking and putting on quite a show for Facilier if, in fact, Gold’s aim was to be an ally. Gold yanked his hand out of Killian’s chest before the pirate could ask any questions. Killian looked down, and saw that Gold’s hand was initially empty. Gold swirled a finger, and a heart that was obviously not Killian’s appeared in Rumpelstiltskin’s hand. Facilier was behind Gold, so he couldn’t see the trick that had been played on him.

Gold proudly stepped away as Killian fought through the pain in chest. As much as it hurt, Killian felt some relief that, for some reason, his nemesis was on his side, and had not taken his heart. As Killian searched his mind for answers, Gold held the heart up. When Facilier tried to take it, Gold stepped away and said, “This heart…is my insurance policy. I’m not giving you my only leverage.”

Facilier’s lip snarled as he said, “Fine. Let’s see how this works.”

“It’s quite simple, really,” Gold replied. “I hold his heart in my hand. He’ll do whatever I say. He’ll repeat my words if I want him to, he’s my perfectly obedient servant. Get on your knees, servant.”

Killian swallowed, but he knew what he had to do. He dropped down on his knees. Gold walked past and patted his head and said, “Good dog.”

Killian scowled at Gold and demanded, “What will you have me do?”

Gold chuckled and said, “Our plan is simple. You see, Miss Swan will not let Facilier or myself anywhere near her or those babies. But you…why she won’t expect a thing. You’ll bring us your offspring, like the obedient little dog that you are.”

“There’s one more thing that I want,” Facilier said as he approached. “You have his heart, and that’s all fine and good, but what about me?”

“I thought you were waiting for the babies. What more do you want?” Gold asked.

“I want something now…today,” Facilier answered.

“What do you have in mind?”

“That talisman that was stolen from me. Do you have it?” Facilier asked Killian.

Killian looked away, but Gold lifted up the beating prop heart and said, “Give Facilier the talisman.”

At first Killian wanted to fight, but he realized this might be Gold’s way of assisting. After all, Killian knew that Facilier would be momentarily weakened while he absorbed the talisman’s power. Perhaps this was the chance Killian needed. He reached behind his neck, grabbing the ropey chain that held the talisman against his chest. Gold repeated, “Give the talisman to Facilier.”

Killian held out his hand, dangling the talisman as he watched Facilier come closer. Everything was happening so quickly, and Killian remembered the warning that there would be a short window of time while Facilier was weakened. He knew the stark truth: this might be his only opportunity to save his children.

Facilier scooped up the talisman and held it before him. He walked to the far end of the room, his fingers tightening around the object. Killian shifted his feet so he could spring toward Facilier at the right moment. His heart thudded in his chest and his breath quickened as his body readied for battle. A flash of light emanated from the talisman that was so bright both Killian and Gold flinched. Killian stood as his eyes focused again and he looked for his enchanted sword, but Facilier’s head quickly turned as he proudly glared at Killian. Facilier’s laugh boomed through the underground room, his eyes bright with the thrill of power. “Thank you very much,” his smoky voice gloated as he grabbed his scepter and rested it on his shoulder.

Down the hall, they could hear someone screaming for help. Facilier dashed down the hall, magic transporting him more quickly than his physical body would allow. “I thought you said he’d be vulnerable,” Killian angrily whispered to Gold.

“He was. That man is more powerful than I’d imagined. I’ve never seen anyone strong enough to absorb magic like that.”

“So what now?” Killian demanded.

“I’m open to suggestions,” Gold snapped back.

Facilier slinked eerily back into the room and said to Killian, “I greatly appreciate your contribution to the cause…every little bit helps. Now if you’ll excuse me, my friend Rumpelstiltskin and I have some business to attend to.”

Before Killian could protest, Facilier lifted his scepter with the purple orb at the top and gestured down the hall in the direction he had come from. Killian’s body flew through the air as if he were weightless. At the end of the hall, a barred door flung open and he was dropped unceremoniously into a cell. He lay on the ground for a moment, his hand covering his heart in an attempt to soothe the ache that persisted long after Gold’s fingers had let go.

The pirate stared at the dull mud and stone ceiling as he muttered into the air, “What in the hell do I do now?”

“Killian?” a frightened voice asked from one darkened corner of the cell. “Is that you?”

He sat up as Tiana came forward into the dim light at the center of the cell. “Are you alright? Did that monster hurt you?” he asked.

“I’m fine. I think,” her shaky voice responded. “What’s he going to do with me?”

“I’m not sure, although I suspect you were bait.”

“Bait?”

“Emma and I came here to rescue you. He captured me and sent her away, so I believe he used you to lure us here.”

“Thank you…for coming to get me.”

“Don’t say that until we actually get you out of here.”

“This has to be a dream.”

“’Fraid not.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“We had one. It didn’t work.”

Tiana sat on the ground next to him. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Killian tapped his toe on the ground a few times and he asked, “Did you see anything? Anything that he was very protective of…some item that he kept close or seemed to draw power from.”

“He always has that staff. Always. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without it for as long as I can remember. Do you think that means anything?”

“I’m not exactly sure yet. Tell me everything that has happened since he took you. Everything you’ve noticed…”

* * *

 

Emma, Regina, Robin and Henry hurried back to the building where Killian had disappeared. As they rushed up to the door they saw Naveen rounding the corner. “Naveen?” Emma asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about what you told me. About Tiana. And…” Naveen looked around and said, “Where is your friend?”

“Killian…he was taken too.”

“I shouldn’t have sent you here.”

“It’s not your fault,” Emma assured.

“You should go home,” Regina said to Naveen.

“I want to help,” he replied.

Regina paused for a moment and answered, “There are things that we need to do that may be confusing. And we don’t have time to explain it all to you. Go home. And we’ll let you know when Tiana is back.”

“I won’t leave,” Naveen answered, immediately reaching for the door knob. He easily opened the door and stepped inside.

Emma shouted, “Wait!” but Naveen was already inside. The rest of the group followed them in. Emma spun around the room as confusion washed over her. The long hallway was gone. The room now seemed so normal. The floors weren’t dirt and gravel, but were finished in hardwood with a large area rug in the center. The room was now a small, formal sitting area. An old sofa and a few chairs surrounded a coffee table, and they looked like they’d entered a home that had barely been changed in decades. “How do we get to him?” Emma screamed, wide-eyed, at Regina.

“I don’t know yet,” Regina answered, trying to impart her calm on Emma. “We need to look around. There has to be some sort of door.”

“We need to find him,” Emma said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

“And we will.”

Henry took Emma’s arm and asked, “Where was the door?”

Emma pointed, “At the end of a hallway that used to be right here.”

“There’s got to be some clue here,” Regina answered. “Let’s all take a corner of the room and see what we can find.”

* * *

 

Killian and Tiana started to lose track of time in that dim, dank cell. “Y’all are getting along pretty well,” Facilier said, leaning against the bars of the cell door. He unlocked the door and gestured for Killian to come through.

Gold waited for them. “Now, _Captain_ , I’m going to show you exactly what we need you to do. First, I’m going to enchant your hook so…that…so…” Gold had a perplexed look on his face as he stared at Killian’s wrist, and in the next second he shoved the pirate back against the wall, screaming, “Where did you get that?”

“Get what?” Killian asked.

“That bracelet. It’s not yours. Now tell me where you got it!”

Gold had given the bracelet to Killian, and they both knew it was the bracelet they’d tried to use to disable Pan’s power. Realizing that Gold knew all too well what the bracelet was, Killian played along, “It’s mine. A personal item.”

“You’re lying,” Gold responded. He opened a small chest and took out the heart that he pretended was Killian’s and ordered, “Give me the bracelet.”

Killian obediently removed the leather object with his hook and held it out. “What is it?” Facilier asked with great interest.

“It’s mine,” Gold casually answered. “Nothing to worry yourself with. Now…where were we?”

As Gold prepared to fasten the bracelet around his wrist, Facilier slid between them and took the item for himself. “If it’s _nothing,”_ Facilier said, “you don’t need it.”

“It’s magical. Quite powerful, actually,” Gold explained like he was reluctant to share the information.  Gold lied, “It protects the wearer from damage by enchanted objects like the sword he carries. That way, if we tried to hurt him with his own sword, he’d be immune.”

“Where did he get it?” Facilier asked.

“This pirate must have stolen it from me long ago in our homeland.”

Facilier’s eyes greedily lit up, “I don’t have anything from your Enchanted Forrest.” It was clear that Facilier’s lust for power clouded his judgment, and the tall, lean man slapped the bracelet on his wrist. “I do feel a little different…I can’t explain it.”

“It takes time for the magic to course through you,” Gold explained.

“This doesn’t feel right,” Facilier argued, shaking his head.

Killian, hoping the bracelet had already disabled Facilier’s powers, quickly lurched at the scepter. Facilier was stunned as Killian spun the scepter upside down and smashed the purple sphere attached to the top into the ground, fracturing the once perfect globe into thousands of tiny shards. Facilier dramatically dropped to his knees, screaming, “No! Why, oh why!” before his frown contorted into a smile and his cries became maniacal laughter. Yanking the scepter out of Killian’s hand, Facilier exclaimed, “If you wanted that, you should have told me. It’s worthless. A showpiece. You smashed a cheap little glass ball.”

As Facilier paraded around, gloating about his power and brilliance, Killian tried to quickly think of another plan. He and Tiana had both assumed the purple sphere at the top of Facilier’s cane had been the source of his power. Facilier started questioning Gold, “Why didn’t you try to stop him? You haven’t had second thoughts, have you? I don’t take kindly to defectors.”

Ignoring the conversation between Gold and Facilier, Killian remembered that some of the words of the fortune teller had come true. She had told him “an ally will be revealed in the wink of an eye,” and Gold had winked at Killian and certainly seemed to be an ally for the time being. So Killian tried to remember what else the old woman had said. It came to him with clarity so stark, Killian could practically hear the woman. “ _Heed these words…An ally will be revealed in the wink of an eye. When the time comes to seize your destiny, you will find greater power in a gleaming smile than a star of amethyst.”_

Thinking quickly, Killian started to wonder if the star of amethyst that the old woman had mentioned was the purple sphere attached to Facilier’s scepter. He started looking around to find the “gleaming smile” the old woman had mentioned, because that gleaming smile was said to have the greater power. Killian hoped against hope that the old woman was right. He had little time. He knew soon Facilier would figure out that the bracelet was stifling his magic, and Killian thought Facilier might just be powerful and knowledgeable enough to find a way to remove it. Just then, Killian saw light shine off the necklace Facilier wore. The necklace was made of little bones and teeth strung on the necklace, and as they lay on Facilier’s chest, it almost looked like a macabre smile.

There was no time for thought. Hoping that he’d assumed correctly, Killian approached as Facilier and Gold argued. The moment he was close enough, Killian yanked the necklace off and stepped away. Facilier whirled around and demanded, “You better give that back to me right now, little man, before it’s too late.”

Killian stepped backward toward the wall and replied, “I don’t think so.”

“How’d you like to have matching hooks? When I’m done with you, you’ll need more than a fake hand,” Facilier threatened.

Killian grabbed a rock so large he could barely hold it in one hand and Facilier screamed, “I’m gonna enjoy slowly draining the life out of those little helpless worms you’ve fathered. And you’re gonna watch.” Facilier tried to stay threatening and cocky, but it was clear that he was panicking.

Killian spun around, holding the necklace against the wall with his hook and smashing the bones and teeth with the rock he held. Facilier screamed an ethereal, demonic cry and Killian knew he’d found the right object. Relentlessly destroying every piece that hung from the necklace, Killian finally looked at Facilier. The tall, powerful man was on the ground, looking like he’d just endured a terrible fight. Obviously weakened, Facilier said, “I suggest you run while you can. You can’t stop me forever and I will never stop. Once I regain my strength, I’ll do things to you that will make you beg for death. I’ll take your love’s power now too…punishment for what you’ve done. I’ll cut her open myself and—“ Facilier continued to make threats, but Killian was no longer listening since he was busy planning.

When Killian heard Facilier again, the witch doctor added, “Just because I’m weak doesn’t mean I’m completely powerless.” Facilier tried to use his magic and found that he had none. He looked at the bracelet and then Gold as Facilier tried to rip the bracelet off of his wrist, adding, “You betrayed me, Rumpelstiltskin? Ohh…you’re gonna regret that. I’ll destroy your whole damn town and everyone in it!” Facilier summoned enough power to stand and he kicked Killian onto the ground. “First things first. Did you really think you could overpower me? You’re nothing without Emma’s magic.” Facilier pulled a bone-handled knife from his jacket and stood over Killian.

“Hook,” Rumpelstiltskin shouted, tossing the enchanted sword back to Killian.

Killian pulled the sword from the air, and in one easy motion drove the blade into Facilier’s chest. The scream that resulted was the same unworldly shriek they’d heard when Killian had destroyed the necklace. A noise like a low hum reverberated through the cave. The hum grew louder and louder, Facilier’s look of pain became one of sheer terror. The man screamed into the air, “Give me another chance! I know you can heal me! You need my help!”

Killian searched for whomever Facilier was talking to, but saw no one. As the hum grew, Killian and Rumpelstiltskin watched the room fill with the shadowy demons that all circled Facilier as he pleaded. The shadows packed the space, dark wisps too numerous to count. Then they all began to tug at Facilier’s limbs as he screamed in agony. They started actually pulling him down into the ground. The room filled with humming and a quiet laughter set against Facilier’s cries. The room swirled with energy, angst and rage and then all of the shadowy spirits disappeared into ground and the room was completely, bone-chillingly silent.

All that was left in the spot where Facilier had been moments before was the bracelet and the talisman. Killian walked over to the spot, picking up the bracelet and tossing it to Rumpelstiltskin while keeping the talisman for himself. “Thank you,” Killian said.

“I wanted rid of him as much as you did. So I suppose I owe you my gratitude as well,” Gold answered simply.

They heard Tiana calling for help and Killian said, “Let’s go get her and figure out how to get the hell out of here.”

Killian hoped Gold didn’t help destroy Facilier in order to keep the twin’s power for himself. After all, it wasn’t like the two of them were often allies. At least, for the time being, Killian felt his family would be safe. They made it to the cell where Tiana had been kept and, since they didn’t have a key, Gold used magic to remove the door. The cave began to shake, and stone and dirt began to fall all around them. “We don’t have much time,” Killian said. “Do you know how to get out of here?”

Several feet away, they saw a light cracking through the ceiling. As the light expanded, they could see Emma and Regina using magic to create an opening. Naveen jumped down through the opening, and took Tiana’s hand. “Hurry. I don’t know how much time we have!” he said as he held out his hands to boost her up.

Without question she accepted the boost and reached upward where Robin was waiting to help her up. Naveen tried to help Gold, who elected to use his magic to transport himself to the upper level. Finally Naveen boosted Killian, and then Killian and Robin pulled Naveen up just as Emma and Regina lost their grip on the opening and it snapped shut. Once it shut, it was as if there had never been a hole in the ground. A rug suddenly unfolded, covering a strange rune that was scrawled on the floor where the opening had been.

Henry and Emma wrapped their arms around Killian, welcoming him back. Henry’s hug only lasted a few seconds, but Killian could feel the boy’s happiness and relief. Emma kept her arms around Killian, holding onto him before something else could whisk him away. The building began to crumble around them, and Regina suspiciously asked, “What are you doing here, Gold?”

“He helped me defeat Facilier,” Killian admitted.

“Oddly enough, we made an adequate team,” Gold added.

“Facilier is…?” Emma started.

“He’s dead, love,” Killian explained. “I had no choice.”

“I’m just glad you’re alright,” she resolutely stated, “but we won’t be if we stay here much longer.”

The back wall of the building began to crumble, and the walls around them followed suit. Naveen grabbed Tiana’s hand and went for the door, and everyone hurried out as quickly as they could. They all stood on the sidewalk and watched the earth swallow the building, leaving the two buildings on either side perfectly intact and undamaged. A tiny dirt lot was all that was left in its place.


End file.
